Which journalists has Donald Trump publicly nicknamed and why?
Executive summary
Donald Trump has a long history of giving public nicknames to journalists and media figures, often to insult perceived bias or weakness; examples range from longstanding epithets like “Sleepy Eyes” for NBC’s Chuck Todd to recent sexist insults such as calling a Bloomberg reporter “piggy” or attacking New York Times reporter Katie Rogers as “ugly” [1] [2] [3]. Contemporary reporting shows the White House defended some of those comments while news organizations and journalism groups have condemned them [4] [2].
1. A pattern of personal nicknaming as rhetorical strategy
Trump’s use of nicknames toward journalists fits a consistent rhetorical playbook: short, memorable labels meant to delegitimize, mock, or reduce critics’ authority. Surveys of his nickname habit highlight repeated targeting of media figures—Chuck Todd’s “Sleepy Eyes” is one of the older, enduring examples cited in reporting on his nickname practice [1]. That context helps explain why current incidents are seen as part of a recognizable pattern rather than isolated outbursts [1].
2. Recent high-profile incidents: “piggy” and “ugly”
In November 2025, multiple outlets reported Trump calling a Bloomberg correspondent “piggy” during a clash on Air Force One or in the Oval Office as questions were asked about Jeffrey Epstein — coverage that named Catherine Lucey in some reports and noted condemnation from fellow journalists and organizations [2] [5]. Separately, Trump lashed out at New York Times reporter Katie Rogers on Truth Social and called her “ugly” after a story suggesting he might be slowing down; The Guardian documented both the post and the paper’s defense of its journalist [3]. Reuters reported the White House defended the “piggy” remark as reflecting the president’s “frankness,” while the Society of Professional Journalists condemned disparaging language toward reporters [4].
3. Who else has been nicknamed — historical and ongoing examples
While the current corpus of sources here is not exhaustive, established reporting and compiled lists show Trump has long nicknamed media figures and political opponents alike. The Straits Times and broad compilations (e.g., Wikipedia lists cited in media) document nicknames directed at journalists over many years, exemplifying that this behavior predates his 2025 presidency and continues into it [1] [6]. Available sources do not list every journalist he has nicknamed; comprehensive enumerations are found in aggregated lists such as the Wikipedia compilation but are not fully reproduced in the other news reporting provided here [6].
4. Motives and effects: delegitimization and media reaction
Trump’s nicknaming achieves immediate rhetorical goals: it simplifies complex critiques into viral soundbites and frames the journalist as biased, incompetent, or unserious. News coverage shows these tactics provoke pushback from colleagues and press organizations, which argue such language undermines journalistic independence and can be especially damaging when directed at women — critics noted a pattern of personal attacks against female reporters [2] [3] [5]. Meanwhile, the White House has at times defended the remarks as forthrightness, reflecting a partisan split in how the behavior is interpreted [4].
5. Evidence limits and suggested follow-ups
The sources provided document several recent instances and point to longer-running practices, but they do not offer a full, sourced catalogue of every journalist ever nicknamed by Trump; the Wikipedia list is explicitly a compilation that attempts that task but is not reproduced here in full [6]. For a comprehensive, sourced inventory, consult the Wikipedia list of Trump nicknames [6] and cross-check individual items against primary news reports and press clips. To assess trends (targets by outlet, gender, or topic), one would need to compile and code incidents from those full lists and contemporaneous reporting.
6. Competing perspectives and journalism’s role
Reporting here shows two opposing framings: news organizations and journalism groups portray the nicknaming as harassment that seeks to silence or discredit the press [2] [5] [3], while the White House frames such remarks as part of candid, straightforward communication for which voters re-elected the president [4]. The tension reflects a broader debate about norms, the public’s right to question power, and the boundaries of acceptable presidential rhetoric; readers should weigh the documented pattern of targeted nicknaming [1] [6] against official defenses [4].
If you want, I can compile names and specific nicknames from the Wikipedia list [6] and match each to news stories that explain the context of the insult.