A recent exchange between a journalist and President Donald Trump has been making headlines online, but it’s not the first time Trump has had harsh words for a journalist.
On November 14, on Air Force One en route to Palm Beach, Florida, a reporter asked President Trump additional questions about the Jeffrey Epstein file.
Trump scolded her, pointing his finger at her, leaning over and saying, “Quiet! Quiet, pig.”
Trump has long criticized the media, filing lawsuits against news organizations over their coverage of him and lashing out at reporters. Let’s look back at some notable events.
Watch the video: President Trump is seen telling a female reporter to “quiet, pig.”
Trump tells reporter, “Shut up, you pig,” after Epstein’s email question
Epstein’s emails sparked a tense exchange during a press conference, with President Donald Trump lashing out at the reporter.
Who did Trump call a pig?
CBS News White House correspondent Jennifer Jacobs was among those traveling on Air Force One, according to a social media post. The gagged video shows President Trump turning to other reporters and saying, “Quiet, little piggy,” just before asking “Jennifer” a question.
According to Jacobs’ social media posts, he was the other reporter who spoke when Trump said he had a “quiet, pig-like” job at Bloomberg.
A Bloomberg News spokesperson did not name the reporter, but told USA TODAY in a statement that the station is committed to fair and accurate reporting.
Other news outlets have identified her as Katherine Lucey.
Other journalists involved include Mary Bruce, Megyn Kelly, and Yamish Alcindor.
In another heated exchange in the Oval Office on Nov. 18, just days after the “quiet you pig” comment, ABC News’ Mary Bruce asked why President Trump didn’t order the release of the Epstein files without waiting for Congress to pass legislation.
“It’s not the question that bothers me, it’s your attitude. I think you’re a terrible reporter,” Trump said. “These are the questions I ask.”
Trump did not answer Bruce’s questions and continued to lash out at the reporter.
“This is a Democratic hoax,” Trump said, later adding, “The news coming out of ABC is so fake and so false that I think ABC should have its license taken away. And we have a great commissioner, we have a great commissioner, and we should look at that.”
ABC News did not immediately respond to USA TODAY’s request for comment on Nov. 18.
Trump’s sharp comments about reporters, especially women, date back to the early days of his first presidential campaign. He talked about Megyn Kelly, who he asked during a Republican primary debate if she had presidential temperament, and later said, “Her eyes were bleeding, blood was coming out everywhere.”
In March 2020, President Trump told White House correspondent Yamiche Alcindor, “Please be kind. There’s no need to make threats.” Earlier this year, he told a reporter who asked about TACO’s trade terms regarding tariffs that it was a “nasty question.” In September, he got into an argument with a reporter who was trying to ask him a question, and when she insisted, “I’m not offensive,” he called her “offensive.”
President Trump attacks media with lawsuits
Trump has filed lawsuits against the media in the past, but to no avail. In one case, a judge ordered President Trump to pay more than $392,000 in legal fees to The New York Times over a frivolous lawsuit. Other recent lawsuits against media companies include:
- New York Times – President Trump announced on September 15 that he will file a $15 billion libel and defamation lawsuit against The New York Times. The Florida lawsuit cites a series of articles, editorials and books published by Penguin Random House that Trump’s lawyers claim are part of an “intentional and malicious defamation of President Trump,” according to court filings. The New York Times countered that the lawsuit was without merit. The original lawsuit was dismissed by a federal judge and refiled in October, according to NBC News.
- Wall Street Journal – President Trump sued Dow Jones & Co., News Corp., owner Rupert Murdoch, and reporters Khadija Safdar and Joseph Palazzolo in July. This comes after the same media published an article about a birthday letter to Jeffrey Epstein that appeared to be signed by President Trump. President Trump called the statement “false, malicious and defamatory.” The House Oversight Committee later released the letter, but the White House said it would continue to pursue legal action. The Wall Street Journal said it stands by its reporting and intends to fight the lawsuit. Trump sued the Journal for $10 billion.
- CBS News – In October 2024, President Trump sued CBS News for $10 billion (later raised to $20 billion) over the editing of his “60 Minutes” interview with former Vice President Kamala Harris. Parent company Paramount settled the lawsuit for $16 million in July, according to Reuters.
- ABC News – In March 2024, President Trump sued ABC News and host George Stephanopoulos over questions about E. Jean Carroll, who a jury found Trump liable for sexual abuse and defamation. ABC News settled the lawsuit for $15 million in December, according to Reuters.
- Des Moines Register – President Trump sued the Des Moines Register (USA TODAY Network), its parent company Gannett (now known as USA TODAY), and polling firm J. Ann Selzer in December 2024, alleging that a poll released just before the election exaggerated Iowa’s support for former Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election. The parties have been fighting for months over jurisdiction over the case. Both USA TODAY and Selzer are moving to have Trump’s lawsuit dismissed. The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages under Iowa’s consumer fraud law.
The White House also announced in February that it would replace the White House Correspondents’ Association in managing which news organizations are included in the reporter pool, following a dispute with the Associated Press over its refusal to update its guidance on the “Gulf of Mexico” to the “Gulf of America.” President Trump has also threatened legal action against the BBC.
(This article has been updated with additional information.)
contribution: Reuters; David Jackson, Francesca Chambers, Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy, Zach Anderson, Joey Garrison, USA TODAY
Kinsey Crowley is a Trump Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Please contact KCrowley@usatodayco.com. follow her X (Twitter), blue sky and TikTok.
