Which reporter did Trump allegedly call 'piggy' and when did this occur?

1. What happened — the moment on Air Force One

Video and multiple news accounts show the president leaning forward, pointing his finger and telling a female reporter to be quiet, then saying “Quiet. Quiet, piggy” after she asked about the release of Justice Department files related to Jeffrey Epstein; reporters identify the exchange as occurring aboard Air Force One on Nov. 14 during a press gaggle ^{[5] [6] [2]}.

2. Who was named by outlets as the target

News outlets including People, CBC and Reuters identify the Bloomberg White House correspondent Catherine Lucey as the reporter who asked the question and was addressed by Trump; profiles and timeline pieces note Lucey’s reporting background and that she began covering the White House for Bloomberg earlier in 2025 ^{[1] [7] [8]}.

3. How the White House responded

The White House publicly defended the president’s language through press secretary Karoline Leavitt, framing the remark as part of Trump’s “frankness” and saying reporters should appreciate his openness; Leavitt suggested his frustration comes when reporters “lie” or “spread fake news,” and the White House repeated that message in briefings ^{[3] [4]}.

4. How the press and watchdogs reacted

Journalistic organizations and critics condemned the epithet as demeaning toward a woman reporter; Reuters and other outlets noted the Society of Professional Journalists criticized Trump’s history of demeaning language aimed at women in the press ^[3]. Several outlets — Guardian, BBC, CBC and CNN — framed the incident as part of a pattern of personal attacks on female journalists ^{[9] [6] [7] [10]}.

5. The broader media context and timing

The remark came as lawmakers and the public were pressing for release of documents tied to Jeffrey Epstein; Lucey’s question concerned newly released emails in which Epstein allegedly said Trump “knew about the girls,” and that context is what appears to have triggered the terse exchange ^{[9] [3]}. The episode circulated widely online and was reported across mainstream outlets within days of the Nov. 14 exchange ^{[9] [11]}.

6. Competing perspectives on meaning and intent

Supporters within the administration framed Trump’s comments as acceptable bluntness and an understandable reaction to perceived hostile questions ^[4]. Critics described the language as humiliating and gendered, saying it contributes to a hostile environment for women reporters and reflects a long-running pattern ^{[9] [3]}.

7. Limits of available reporting and what’s not said

Available sources consistently identify Catherine Lucey as the reporter involved ^[1], and they document the date (Nov. 14) and location (Air Force One) ^{[2] [6]}. Available sources do not mention any on-the-record apology from the president to Lucey, nor do they report a formal disciplinary action or retraction from the White House beyond the press secretary’s defense ^{[3] [4]}.

8. Why this matters — precedent and press freedom implications

Journalists and press-watchers frame the incident as significant because it exemplifies an elected leader using personal epithets to shut down a line of questioning, which raises concerns about intimidation and the erosion of norms that protect reporters’ ability to ask follow-up questions without personal abuse ^{[3] [9]}. The episode also fed into wider reporting about the administration’s creation of a “Hall of Shame” page to publicly name media stories it disputes, intensifying tensions between the White House and news organizations ^[12].

9. Bottom line for readers

If you need the core facts: Trump said “Quiet. Quiet, piggy” to Bloomberg’s Catherine Lucey aboard Air Force One on Nov. 14, 2025, during an exchange about the Epstein files ^{[1] [2]}. Reactions split along predictable partisan and institutional lines — administration defenders called it frankness, media organizations and watchdogs called it demeaning — and reporting shows the incident sits within a string of recent personal attacks on female reporters ^{[4] [10] [13]}.