Former President Donald Trump has dramatically intensified his personal attacks against journalists over the past two weeks, with his most vicious comments specifically targeting female reporters. This pattern of degrading behavior represents a significant escalation in his long-standing fraught relationship with the press.
Ugly Comments Target New York Times Reporter
On Wednesday morning, Trump launched a particularly personal attack against New York Times reporter Katie Rogers, who co-authored a story about the president's health, aging, and reduced public appearances. Trump specifically called Rogers "ugly, both inside and out" in a 300-plus-word rant posted on his Truth Social platform.
The attack notably singled out Rogers while ignoring her male co-author, Dylan Freedman, who contributed equally to the story by analyzing Trump's schedules and social media posts. This selective targeting of the female journalist highlights a concerning pattern in Trump's approach to media criticism.
"Quiet, Piggy" Incident and Other Attacks
The Rogers incident follows another disturbing episode where Trump told Bloomberg reporter Catherine Lucey, an experienced White House correspondent, to stop asking questions about Jeffrey Epstein with the shocking words: "Quiet, piggy." The confrontation occurred aboard Air Force One, with Trump wagging his finger at Lucey as other journalists looked on.
Even White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt struggled to defend this particular comment, telling reporters that at least Trump is "frank and open and honest to your faces rather than hiding behind your backs."
Pattern of Degrading Behavior Toward Women
Trump's attacks extended to ABC News' Mary Bruce last week when she questioned him about hosting Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in the Oval Office. U.S. intelligence agencies had determined the prince ordered the violent killing of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi in Istanbul in 2018.
"You don't have to embarrass our guest by asking a question like that," Trump scolded Bruce while sitting alongside the Saudi leader. He later escalated his rhetoric, calling her questioning "horrible, insubordinate" and "terrible."
When Bruce later asked why Trump wouldn't release the Epstein files independently, he responded: "It's not the question that I mind; it's your attitude." He concluded by stating, "I think you are a terrible reporter. You're a terrible person and a terrible reporter."
This series of incidents reveals a consistent pattern of personal, below-the-belt attacks specifically directed at female journalists, raising concerns about the treatment of women in media and the normalization of such degrading language in political discourse.
