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Who did Trump say quiet Piggy to?
Executive summary
Multiple mainstream outlets say President Donald Trump directed the phrase “Quiet. Quiet, piggy” at Bloomberg White House correspondent Catherine Lucey during a November 14 gaggle aboard Air Force One while she pressed him about newly released Jeffrey Epstein-related material (see Reuters, IBTimes, People) [1] [2] [3]. Video and contemporaneous press accounts from The Guardian, The Atlantic, Reuters, Newsweek, the Telegraph and others document the same exchange and note the remark went viral and drew institutional condemnation [4] [5] [1] [6] [7].
1. What the reporting says happened
News organizations that reviewed video and contemporaneous accounts report that as Catherine Lucey began a follow-up question about the Epstein files, Trump leaned toward her, pointed his finger and said “Quiet. Quiet, piggy,” cutting her off and then turning to other reporters to continue the gaggle; outlets citing the clip include Reuters, IBTimes and People [1] [2] [3]. Multiple outlets describe the exchange as captured on Air Force One on Nov. 14 and later released or excerpted by the White House and social accounts, which helped the moment go viral [4] [6] [8].
2. Who is named as the target in coverage
Coverage consistently identifies Bloomberg’s Catherine Lucey as the reporter addressed by the comment [2] [3] [1]. Reports detail that Lucey had been asking why Trump resisted releasing remaining Epstein-related files and that she was cut off mid-question when the remark occurred [6] [9].
3. How media and institutions reacted
The exchange prompted widespread condemnation in journalism circles: the Society of Professional Journalists publicly criticized the demeaning language, and individual journalists and commentators flagged it as part of a broader pattern of personal attacks on women in the press [1] [10]. Outlets from The Guardian to The Atlantic framed the incident both as symptomatic of Trump’s long history of insulting female journalists and as a moment that energized online reaction and political responses [4] [5] [10].
4. White House response and competing interpretations
The White House defended the president’s language, saying it reflected frankness and was misinterpreted, according to Reuters’ reporting; that defense contrasts with newsroom and journalism‑ethics groups that called the remark unacceptable [1]. Some outlets emphasize the clip’s viral spread and political use by opponents, while other reports focus on the broader context of Trump’s contentious relationship with the press—showing how the same footage can be framed either as a lapse in decency or as an example of combative presidential candor [4] [1].
5. Context: Epstein files and why the exchange mattered
Most accounts link the moment directly to questions about newly released or proposed releases of documents tied to Jeffrey Epstein — specifically, Lucey’s line of questioning about whether files contained incriminating material and why they weren’t being fully released — which elevated the news value and public interest in the clip [6] [2]. Several outlets note that congressional action on releasing those files and recent related revelations had already heightened scrutiny around the president, so the exchange occurred against a charged political backdrop [6].
6. Divergent tones across outlets and implicit agendas to watch
The Guardian and The Atlantic present the exchange as another example of misogyny and deterioration of norms, using moralizing language and historical patterns of abuse toward female reporters [4] [5]. More descriptive outlets (Reuters, IBTimes, People) focus on the who–what–when and report both the White House defense and journalistic outrage [1] [2] [3]. Readers should note these framing differences: opinion pieces amplify normative judgment, while straight news reports emphasize multiple perspectives and official statements [10] [1].
7. Limits of the available reporting and unanswered questions
Available sources consistently identify Catherine Lucey as the target and document the phrase and setting, but they do not provide verbatim transcripts beyond the quoted phrase, nor do they include audio that would settle tone or inflection disputes beyond what is described in the reporting [2] [1]. Available sources do not mention any contemporaneous protest by other reporters on the gaggle itself beyond later commentary calling for stronger pushback [10].
Bottom line
Contemporary reporting from Reuters, IBTimes, People and multiple national outlets agree that Trump said “Quiet. Quiet, piggy” to Bloomberg reporter Catherine Lucey during a Nov. 14 Air Force One gaggle as she questioned him about Epstein files; the White House defended the remark while press groups and many commentators condemned it as demeaning, especially toward a woman journalist [1] [2] [3].