Which journalist did Donald Trump call 'piggy' and in what context did he use that word?

1. What happened — the moment captured on Air Force One

Video of a mid‑flight gaggle shows a Bloomberg reporter asking President Trump about the Jeffrey Epstein files; as she began a follow‑up — “Sir, if there’s nothing incriminating in the files…” — Trump interrupted, pointed, and said, “Quiet. Quiet, piggy,” then turned to another reporter to answer ^{[1] [2] [3]}. Multiple outlets report the exchange occurred on Nov. 14, 2025, and that footage was circulated by the White House and news organizations ^{[1] [6]}.

2. Who the reporter is — identity and background

News outlets identify the reporter targeted as Catherine Lucey of Bloomberg News, a veteran White House correspondent who previously worked at The Wall Street Journal and the Associated Press ^{[2] [5]}. Bloomberg issued a statement defending its White House journalists and emphasizing their role in asking questions “without fear or favor” ^{[1] [7]}.

3. Immediate reactions — condemnation and defence

Journalists and public figures from across the media landscape called the comment “disgusting and completely unacceptable,” while organizations focused on press freedom and women in media framed the barb as part of a pattern of demeaning language toward female journalists ^{[1] [8]}. The White House defended the president, saying the reporter had behaved “in an inappropriate and unprofessional way” and asserting, “If you’re going to give it, you have to be able to take it” ^{[4] [9]}.

4. Context and pattern — why this matters beyond one insult

Reporters and advocacy groups pointed out that Trump has used “pig”‑related insults before — for example, allegations that he called Alicia Machado “Miss Piggy” and past references to Rosie O’Donnell and others — which critics say makes this episode part of a broader pattern of personal attacks on women in public life ^{[1] [8] [9]}. Commentary pieces argue the incident matters because it reflects on presidential norms toward the press and workplace decorum in a high‑visibility setting ^{[10] [11]}.

5. Disagreement in coverage — tone, intent and interpretation

Reports converge on the words uttered and the setting, but they record differing emphases: some outlets foreground the gratuitous nature of the insult and its sexism ^{[1] [7]}, while others highlight the White House explanation that Lucey’s conduct provoked a response and frame the episode as an internal dispute among reporters on the plane ^{[4] [5]}. Audiovisual evidence establishes the utterance, but interpretation of motive and appropriate response remains disputed across the sources ^{[3] [4]}.

6. What sources do not (or do) say — limits of current reporting

Available sources consistently identify Catherine Lucey as the Bloomberg reporter and document the “Quiet, piggy” line and the Epstein‑files question; they do not, however, provide a detailed chronological transcript of the entire exchange beyond those lines, nor do they present an on‑record extended comment from Lucey herself in the pieces provided here ^{[2] [1] [5]}. Investigations into any broader disciplinary or legal consequences are not mentioned in the current reporting ^{[4] [9]}.

7. Why journalists and public‑interest groups are alarmed

Advocacy groups such as the International Women’s Media Foundation and prominent journalists framed the remark as another example of demeaning language directed at female reporters, arguing such conduct can chill press freedom and contribute to a hostile professional environment ^{[8] [1]}. The White House defence — framing it as a response to provocation — signals a dispute not only over behavior but over norms for presidential interaction with the press ^[4].

8. Bottom line for readers

The factual core is clear and consistently reported: on Nov. 14, 2025 President Trump told Bloomberg reporter Catherine Lucey “Quiet, piggy” during an Air Force One gaggle after she asked about Epstein‑linked emails ^{[2] [1] [3]}. Interpretations split between those who view it as sexist, unprofessional conduct and those — including a White House official quoted in coverage — who cast it as a provoked rebuke; readers should weigh the video evidence, the reporter’s question about Epstein, and the historical pattern of similar insults when assessing significance ^{[1] [4] [8]}.