White House jumps to defend Trump’s 'quiet piggy' insult, says 'you have to be able to take it'

The White House pushed back hard on Wednesday (Nov 19) after President Donald Trump's insulting remarks on two female reporters, especially the "quiet, piggy' comment went viral. Defending language that critics called unusually harsh even by Trump standards, the White House said the uproar was "a deliberate deception to wage war on President Trump and the millions of Americans who elected him to multiple terms".

"Quit, piggy": What did Trump say?

The tension began on Tuesday in the Oval Office during Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's visit. ABC News correspondent Mary Bruce asked Trump about the 2018 killing of Jamal Khashoggi, the Trump family's business ties, and the Epstein case. Trump snapped, telling her not to "embarrass our guest," calling her a "terrible reporter," and threatening ABC’s broadcast license. Now, the White House has escalated the issue, dismissing ABC as a "Democrat spin operation masquerading as a broadcast network" and releasing a fact sheet accusing the network of years of bias.

This came on the heels of another confrontation. Earlier, on Nov 14, aboard Air Force One, when pressed by Bloomberg reporter Catherine Lucey on why he would not release Epstein-related material, Trump cut her off with "quiet, piggy." The comment drew sharp reactions online, but the White House showed no sign of backing down. The White House said that "if you're going to give it, you have to be able to take." An official speaking anonymously said Lucey had acted "in an inappropriate and unprofessional way" by talking over colleagues. The official added, "If you're going to give it, you have to be able to take."