President Donald Trump went viral last week for calling a female Bloomberg reporter “Piggy” when she asked him a question about Jeffrey Epstein. Trump’s insult of the reporter sparked considerable criticism. Now, the White House has stepped in to defend Trump’s comment, claiming he was only being honest and direct.
Here’s what White House said about Donald Trump’s comment
The Washington Post’s Natalie Allison asked White House secretary Karoline Leavitt at a press conference what Donald Trump meant when he called a reporter “piggy.”
Leavitt responded by claiming that Trump was “frank and honest.” She emphasized Trump’s “frankness” as one of the reasons behind his re-election.
“And he calls out fake news when he sees it,” Leavitt added. “He gets frustrated with reporters when you lie about him. When you spread fake news about him and his administration.”
She claimed that Trump was the most “transparent” President in US history. Leavitt also stressed that he offered “unprecedented access” to the press by letting them ask questions at the Oval Office about the functioning of his administration.
Leavitt then compared Trump’s administration to that of Joe Biden’s. She opined that Trump’s honesty and openness while addressing matters were “a lot more respectful” than Biden’s deception and evasiveness.
She concluded by telling the press conference attendees that they should appreciate Trump’s “frankness and openness.”
Last week, Donald Trump interacted with a Bloomberg reporter who asked him about Jeffrey Epstein’s e-mail, which claimed the former “knew about the girls.” Trump denied knowing about it, adding, “They would have announced that a long time ago” (via BBC). He clarified that the mail was about the time Epstein spent with former US president Bill Clinton and former Harvard president Larry Summers.
“Jeffrey Epstein and I had a very bad relationship for many years,” Trump continued. “But he also saw strength, because I was president.”
Trump said Epstein “dictated a couple of memos to himself.” He stressed that people will eventually find out what the latter knew about Clinton, Summers, and his other acquaintances, including JPMorgan Chase.
The reporter pressed on, trying to ask him if nothing was incriminating in the files. However, Trump cut her off, telling her, “Quiet. Quiet, piggy.”
