Trump Insults: Is The President Only Calling Female Reporters 'Piggy' And 'Ugly'?

In recent weeks, U.S. President Donald J. Trump has escalated a campaign of personal attack against female reporters, using demeaning words such as 'piggy,' 'ugly,' 'stupid' and 'terrible.'

The Misogyny of Donald Trump

What first seemed like scattered outbursts has taken on a disturbing pattern. With each incident, the insults serve not just to rebuke individual journalists, but to intimidate an entire press corps, particularly women, from holding him accountable.

It reached a flashpoint on Nov. 14, while aboard Air Force One. A female reporter from Bloomberg News asked the president about the release of the files connected to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. When she tried to ask a follow-up question, Trump allegedly pointed his finger at her and snapped, 'Quiet. Quiet, piggy.'

The comment sent shockwaves through newsrooms. Many journalists, including women who have faced similar treatment before, expressed their dismay, pointing to the insult as misogynistic and dehumanising.

The President's Statement And Blind Explanations

Pressured about the comment, the White House defended it through Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, who identified the president's bluntness as 'frank and honest.' She added that his bluntness with the press was one reason for his re-election. The 'piggy' insult reflected Trump's policy of confronting reporters directly rather than 'hiding behind your backs,' she said.

But the 'piggy' slur was only the beginning. Days later, during a White House event with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS), Trump accused an ABC News correspondent of being a 'terrible reporter' and a 'terrible person' when she asked pressing questions about both the Epstein files and the 2018 killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

Then, on Nov. 26, the president had an outburst on his social media platform. Reacting to a report by The New York Times asking whether he's showing signs of fatigue in office, Trump singled out one of the female co-authors by name. He called her 'a third-rate reporter who is ugly, both inside and out'.

Many have since described the pattern of attacks as part of a trend that has spiraled, from labeling outlets as 'fake news' to demeaning individual journalists, especially women, with personal, and often, gendered insults. What is troubling is not just the content of the insults, but their timing, target, and frequency.

Why Trump Needs To Stop

Trump's behaviour shows a pattern of harassment, one that is systematic and gender-biased in nature. He appears to intentionally discredit and silence female journalists. If this continues, it could normalize a culture of personal attacks against the press people, and even threaten press freedom.