It is hardly surprising when it comes to a person who has a documented history of personal attacks on female journalists. Donald Trump's recent remark became a trend online...
Before U.S. President Donald Trump changed his position and announced that he would support the House of Representatives' decision to release documents related to the Epstein case, one of the reporters clearly struck a nerve by asking about those documents. Trump's response, which was a sexist insult, went viral.
Last Friday, while speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump was asked about the recently released emails of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, particularly those mentioning the president.
Epstein called Trump "dangerous," wrote that he "met very bad people... but not as bad as Trump," and claimed that the U.S. president "knew about the girls."
Trump stated his ignorance on the matter and said that attention should be focused on other individuals mentioned in the emails, including former U.S. President Bill Clinton.
When Katherine Lucey, a Bloomberg correspondent at the White House, attempted to ask a question about Epstein, Trump turned to her and said, "Quiet. Quiet, piggy."
Although his remark on Air Force One initially did not cause much of a stir, it drew attention online. Critics accused Trump of trying to "shut down" women journalists with "demeaning remarks."
CNN anchor Jake Tapper called the incident "disgusting and completely unacceptable" on air, while former Fox News host Gretchen Carlson described the comment as "repugnant and degrading."
A White House representative, when asked to comment on Trump's words, said, "This reporter behaved inappropriately and unprofessionally towards her colleagues on the plane." No evidence was provided to support this claim. The derogatory phrase "Quiet, piggy" became a trend online, with many posting images of Trump as a pig.
Quiet, piggy. pic.twitter.com/U49i1KP21E
— Governor Newsom Press Office (@GovPressOffice) November 18, 2025
California Governor Gavin Newsom, who uses social media to beat Trump at his own game, led the movement by mimicking Trump's meme war.
Many online followed Gavin Newsom, highlighting Trump's unworthy remarks as President of the United States.
Others noted that as terrible as these comments were, even worse was the fact that none of Katherine Lucey's colleagues spoke up or defended her.
It is worth noting that such sexist insults seem to be favorites of Trump: in 2006, he called television host Rosie O'Donnell, with whom he has had a long-standing feud, "a big, fat pig," and Miss Universe 1996 Alicia Machado "Miss Piggy," after which he advised her to lose weight.
During his first presidential campaign, then-Fox News journalist Megyn Kelly asked Trump about his calling women "fat pigs, dogs, slobs, and disgusting animals." Trump smirked and noted that he only used such words about O'Donnell. Later, speaking about the debates, Trump said of Kelly: "Blood was coming out of her eyes, blood was coming out of her wherever."
In 2018, the International Women's Media Foundation (IWMF) urged the White House to be more respectful towards women journalists. The organization noted "the recent degrading remarks made by the president towards women journalists of color."
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