Trump insults woman journalist, calls her 'piggy' as Epstein questions hit nerve. Watch viral video

President Donald Trump opened a new front in his long-running feud with the press, as he aimed at women reporters, insulting one by calling her "piggy" and calling another “disrespectful”. A video of the first interaction has gone viral on social media, with people slamming the United States president for his disrespectful behaviour towards women and the press. What set this disturbing interaction off was a subject Trump has been trying to dodge for months, the release of Jeffrey Epstein’s files and the questions around who is named in them.

What happened?

The first exchange happened aboard Air Force One last Friday but surfaced only on Monday after the White House posted a video of the gaggle. In it, Trump turns toward an off-camera reporter and snaps, "quiet, quiet, piggy," while wagging his finger. Bloomberg reporter Catherine Lucey was later identified as the target of the remark. She had asked why the president would not release the Epstein documents "if there's nothing incriminating in the files." The clip drew immediate outrage, with CNN anchor Jake Tapper among others calling the comment disgusting and completely unacceptable.

Watch the video here:

The moment echoed Trump’s history of using gendered insults against women who challenge him. He once called TV personality Rosie O’Donnell a "fat pig", and Miss Universe Alicia Machado has also shared how Trump taunted her with the nickname Miss Piggy when she gained weight after winning her title. She recalled him belittling her looks and shouting at her in public, calling her "Miss Piggy", saying she felt intimidated by his behaviour. During Trump's 2016 presidential campaign, Machado revealed that Trump "was overwhelming, I was so scared of him...He'd yell at me all the time. He'd tell me, 'You look ugly,' or 'You look fat.' Sometimes he'd play with me and say, 'Hello, Miss Piggy'."

Question about killed journalist 'disrespect'?

On Tuesday (Nov 18), the tension spilled into the Oval Office during a high-profile visit by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. ABC News correspondent Mary Bruce pressed Trump on whether his business ties to Saudi Arabia posed a conflict of interest. She then turned to the crown prince with a pointed question about the killing of Jamal Khashoggi, quoting US intelligence findings that he approved the operation.

Trump’s reaction was instant. He interrupted, branded ABC "fake news", and accused the network of being "one of the worst in the business". He also scolded Bruce for embarrassing his guest and repeated his claim that the crown prince knew nothing about the murder, despite the intelligence assessment made public in 2021.

The temperature rose again when Bruce circled back to the Epstein files. Congress had just voted to order their release. Trump snapped that he disliked her attitude, declared that "It's not the question that I mind. It's your attitude. I think you are a terrible reporter," before shutting her down completely with a final line, "no more questions from you".