White House press secretary defends Trump’s “pig” insult | Donald Trump
The White House issued a strongly worded defense of Donald Trump’s reference to a Bloomberg News reporter as a “pig” on Thursday, claiming without evidence that the president “denounces fake news when he sees it and is frustrated with reporters who spread false information.”
White House press secretary Carolyn Leavitt made the comments during a White House news conference, saying Trump was re-elected because of his candor, and that members of the media should appreciate his willingness to answer their questions.
“He spreads fake news when he sees it and gets frustrated with reporters who spread false information,” Levitt said. “But it also provides unprecedented access to the press and answers questions on an almost daily basis.”
Levitt did not specify what “fake news” or “false information” Trump was responding to when he called Bloomberg’s White House correspondent, Katherine Lucey, a “pig.”
The clash between Trump and Lucy occurred on Friday aboard Air Force One. Lucey asked a question about the unfolding Jeffrey Epstein scandal and the possibility of the House of Representatives voting to release all files related to his case, which came to fruition earlier this week.
When Lucy began to wonder why Trump was behaving this way “if there was nothing incriminating in the files,” Trump pointed at her and said, “Quiet, quiet, pig.”
The statement received widespread backlash on Monday and Tuesday, with many fellow journalists condemning the incident. CNN anchor Jake Tapper wrote on Channel X that the comment was “disgusting and completely unacceptable,” while former Fox News anchor Gretchen Carlson wrote Called note “Disgusting and insulting.”
While Trump has long expressed disdain for journalists publicly, he has been particularly open this week with his harsh criticism. On Tuesday, Trump called another reporter, ABC News’ Mary Bruce, a “terrible person” in the Oval Office. The reporter had asked Mohammed bin Salman, the visiting Saudi Crown Prince, about the killing of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi, and also why Trump had not published the Epstein files.
“Mr. President, why do we wait for Congress to release the Epstein files?” Bruce asked. “Why don’t you do it now?“
Trump responded: “That’s not the question I care about. It’s your position. I think you’re a terrible reporter. That’s the way you ask these questions. You start with a man who is well respected, and you ask him a terrible, rebellious, terrible question.”
After this incident, the Society of Professional Journalists issued a statement condemning Trump’s statements to Lucy and Bruce.
“These incidents are not isolated, but rather part of a clear pattern of hostility – often directed against women – that undermines the essential role of a free and independent press,” the statement said. He reads.
Caroline Hendry, executive director of the SPJ, stressed that “targeting female reporters with degrading insults should not be tolerated.”
“What we say — and what we refuse to say — indicates to the world how much we value human rights and freedom of expression,” Hendry said. “When U.S. leaders downplay the killing of a journalist or shame journalists for demanding transparency, it reverberates far beyond Washington.”