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What primary-source evidence (audio, video, transcripts) is available to verify the 'piggy' remark?
Executive summary
Multiple mainstream outlets report that President Donald Trump said “Quiet, quiet, piggy” to a female Bloomberg reporter during a press gaggle aboard Air Force One on Nov. 14, 2025; video of the exchange is described as available via a White House posting and has been published or embedded by BBC, CNN, Snopes and others [1] [2] [3]. Reporting names Bloomberg’s Catherine Lucey as the likely target and cites an official White House video as the primary source; outlets differ only on surrounding commentary and exact identification [4] [5] [3].
1. What primary-source material is reported to exist — and who released it?
News outlets say the remark was captured on video from the event aboard Air Force One and that a White House-released video shows the president turning toward an off-camera female reporter and saying “quiet, quiet piggy” while gesturing [6] [1]. Snopes reports the full video is available on the White House YouTube page and frames that video as the direct source for the quote [3]. BBC and CNN each published short video clips or embedded footage of the gaggle in their coverage [1] [2].
2. Which outlets identify the reporter and what evidence do they cite?
Several outlets identify Bloomberg White House correspondent Catherine Lucey as the reporter who asked the follow-up question and the presumed target of the remark; The Guardian, The Independent, Euronews and The Atlantic cite Bloomberg reporting or notes from CBS’ Jennifer Jacobs about the question coming from a Bloomberg journalist [4] [7] [8] [9]. Snopes and other reports treat the White House video as the primary verification and use contemporaneous reporter notes and the clip to associate the line with the Bloomberg question [3].
3. Does the publicly available primary material clearly contain the words “piggy”?
Multiple outlets transcribe the line as “Quiet. Quiet, piggy.” BBC’s video caption and CNN’s story use that transcription, and Snopes cites the White House video showing the interaction [1] [2] [3]. The reporting consistently quotes those words and points readers to the same filmed gaggle as the source [6] [10].
4. Are there alternative readings or disputes about what was said?
Available sources do not report a competing transcription of the line; they uniformly quote “quiet, piggy.” Where coverage diverges is on identity and context — the White House offered a defense saying the reporter behaved “in an inappropriate and unprofessional way,” which some outlets note without providing independent evidence of that claim [9]. Outlets also differ in framing: some emphasize pattern and outrage, others record pushback from Trump allies defending the remark [4] [7].
5. How have news organizations and fact-checkers treated the footage?
Fact-checking and mainstream news organizations treated the White House video as the authoritative primary source and used it to substantiate the quote; Snopes explicitly notes the White House video shows the interaction and circulates the phrase “Quiet, quiet, piggy” [3]. BBC and CNN published short video segments accompanying their copy, and outlets such as TheWrap and The Independent summarized the clip while reporting reactions [1] [2] [10] [7].
6. What limitations and gaps remain in available reporting?
Reporting relies principally on the White House video and contemporaneous notes from journalists on the plane; none of the provided sources reproduces a full, independently verified transcript beyond the clip, and some accounts rely on identifying the questioner via reporters’ notes rather than an on-camera nameplate or explicit microphone audio attribution [3] [6]. The White House’s defense is cited by The Atlantic but without evidence provided in these stories [9]. If you need verbatim context beyond the short clip, available sources do not mention a complete off-camera transcript being published beyond the video excerpts [1] [3].
7. How to verify it yourself (practical next steps)
Watch the White House video clip embedded or linked in reporting (Snopes points to the White House YouTube posting) and compare multiple news outlets’ clips to confirm the wording and gesture [3] [1]. Consult Bloomberg’s own reporting or statements for confirmation of which journalist asked the question; several outlets attribute the question to Catherine Lucey citing Bloomberg or reporters’ notes [4] [5]. For a formal, time-stamped transcript, check whether the White House post includes closed captions or a downloadable transcript; current reporting notes the video but does not indicate a standalone full transcript was published [3] [6].
Summary: Contemporary reporting and a White House video clip together constitute the primary-source evidence for the “Quiet, quiet, piggy” line [1] [3]. Outlets agree on the wording and the existence of video; they differ mainly in identification of the questioner and in editorial framing, and a full published transcript beyond the released clip is not referenced in these sources [4] [9].