Washington: The White House defended President Donald Trump after he referred to a female reporter as a "piggy" while she was questioning him about the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The administration stated that the president's remarks reflect his candid and transparent nature.
According to Thai News Agency, the incident, which occurred aboard Air Force One last week, quickly gained attention online. During an exchange about newly released Epstein emails suggesting Trump "knew about girls," the president leaned forward, pointed at an ABC News reporter, and said, "Quiet, piggy."
When questioned about the incident, White House spokeswoman Caroline Leavitt commented that American voters re-elected Trump because of his candor. She suggested that reporters should value his willingness to answer questions openly. Leavitt further stated in a White House press briefing that Trump strongly opposes fake news and is frustrated with journalists who disseminate false information, although she did not provide evidence of such misrepresentation. Leavitt also highlighted Trump's unprecedented access to the media and his routine engagement with questions.
In a related incident on Tuesday in the Oval Office, Trump called a female reporter a "terrible person" after she inquired about Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who was visiting the United States. The reporter questioned Trump about the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi and asked why classified documents related to Epstein had not been released.
Following these exchanges, on Wednesday, Trump signed legislation directing the Justice Department to release documents from its long-standing Epstein investigation, reversing his previous resistance to making the documents public.
The Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) issued a statement condemning Trump's use of derogatory language toward female journalists, citing a pattern of utilizing such language to undermine women's credibility. The White House has declined to provide further comments beyond Levitt's statements concerning Trump's "piggy" remarks.