White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt has come to President Donald Trump’s defense following his controversial remark calling a female reporter "Piggy" during a press gaggle on November 14.
The bizarre exchange, which quickly went viral, occurred when Bloomberg correspondent Catherine Lucey asked the 79-year-old about the Jeffrey Epstein case.
Trump, who had already expressed frustration with Lucey’s questioning, responded by cutting her off, pointing at her and saying: "Quiet. Quiet, Piggy," before moving on to another question.
Trump blasted a reporter who asked him about the Epstein files. Credit: Roberto Schmidt/Getty
The comment drew immediate backlash from critics, with many condemning the insult as demeaning and unprofessional.
However, during a press briefing on Thursday (November 20), Leavitt attempted to downplay the incident by framing it as part of Trump’s honesty and transparency with the media.
"Look, the president is very frank and honest with everyone in this room," she said.
"You’ve all seen it yourselves. You’ve all experienced it yourselves. And I think it’s one of the many reasons the American people reelected this president, because of his frankness."
Leavitt suggested that the president's approach to the press, which often includes direct criticism of what he deems "fake news," should be seen as respectful.
"He calls out fake news when he sees it. He gets frustrated with reporters when you lie about him, when you spread fake news about him and his administration," she continued.
While Leavitt’s defense did not address the specific use of "Piggy," she argued that the president's forthrightness with reporters was an asset.
"He gives all of you in this room, as you all know, unprecedented access," she said.
"I think everyone in this room should appreciate the frankness and the openness that you get from President Trump."
Karoline Leavitt addressed the president's comments. Credit: Win McNamee / Getty
Leavitt's comments came just one day after the White House issued a statement criticizing Lucey’s question.
"This reporter behaved in an inappropriate and unprofessional way towards her colleagues on the plane," they wrote, per The Guardian.
“If you’re going to give it, you have to be able to take.”
However, the White House did not elaborate on why Lucey’s question was deemed inappropriate, leaving many to speculate on the true reason behind the response.
The Epstein Files Controversy
The exchange between Trump and Lucey occurred just before Congress moved forward with the release of the Epstein files.
The Department of Justice is now required to release approximately 100,000 pages detailing investigations, flight logs, emails, and communications about Epstein and his high-profile associates, which included Trump, after emails surfaced suggesting that the president had a closer relationship with the financier than he has publicly admitted.
The legislation was signed into law by Trump this week, despite initial resistance, as the Justice Department prepares to make the documents public in the next 30 days.