A row has broke out after Donald Trump called a Bloomberg News correspondent “piggy” during a press exchange on Air Force One.The sly comment was made last week during a talk with reporters. Catherine Lucey, Bloomberg’s White House correspondent, had begun asking Trump about the infamous Jeffrey Epstein scandal and why he was acting the way he was “if there’s nothing incriminating in the files.” Before she could finish, Trump pointed at her and said: “Quiet. Quiet, piggy.”The video of the incident went viral. Journalists condemned the president’s behaviour. CNN anchor Jake Tapper wrote on X that it was “disgusting and completely unacceptable.” Former Fox News anchor Gretchen Carlson called the remark “disgusting and degrading.”Bloomberg News stood by its reporter. “Our White House journalists perform a vital public service, asking questions without fear or favor,” a spokesperson said. “We remain focused on reporting issues of public interest fairly and accurately.”The International Women’s Media Foundation also condemned the comment. Its executive director, Elisa Lees Muñoz, said: “President Trump’s targeting of women journalists is nothing new. His appearance-based insults are gendered attacks meant to shut women journalists up. While name-calling may seem harmless, coming from the head of our government, it often sets in motion a torrent of abuse towards the journalist.”However, the White House blamed Lucey. A spokesperson claimed, without providing evidence, that “this reporter behaved in an inappropriate and unprofessional way towards her colleagues on the plane. If you’re going to give it, you have to be able to take.”
