Trump’s Pattern of Disparaging Remarks Towards Female Journalists Raises Concerns
A disturbing pattern of demeaning and hostile language directed at female journalists by a former president continues to draw scrutiny, raising questions about respect for the press and the dignity of public discourse. Recent incidents, including a reported exchange on Air Force One, underscore a long-running trend of disparaging remarks towards women in the media.
On Friday, while traveling on Air Force One, the former president reportedly responded to a follow-up question from Catherine Lucey, a White House correspondent for Bloomberg, by bending his head down and pointing his finger, saying, “Quiet. Quiet, piggy.” Lucey had been inquiring about the release of the Epstein files, and the incident quickly sparked outrage among press advocates.
The former president subsequently announced his support for the House’s vote on releasing the Epstein files, a move widely seen as a response to the anticipated outcome regardless of his position. However, this incident is not isolated. Throughout his time in office, the former president repeatedly attempted to insult and demean female journalists who challenged him or sought accountability.
At the outset of his first presidential campaign, he faced questions from Megyn Kelly, then a journalist with Fox News, regarding reports that he had used derogatory terms like “fat pigs,” “dogs,” and “slobs” to describe women. Rather than deny the accusations, the former president joked that he reserved such language for Rosie O’Donnell. Later, discussing the debate on CNN, he stated of Kelly: “There was blood coming out of her eyes, blood coming out of her wherever.”
The attacks continued throughout his presidency. Yamiche Alcindor, now a White House correspondent for NBC, was repeatedly targeted with dismissive and hostile remarks. During a 2020 press briefing on COVID-19, he responded to her question about his previous statements on governors’ ventilator requests by saying, “That’s why you used to work for the Times and now you work for somebody else … Be nice; don’t be threatening.”
The former president’s vitriol extends beyond female journalists. He recently downplayed the murder of Jamal Khashoggi, stating that “a lot of people didn’t like that gentleman” and that “things happen,” suggesting the journalist may have deserved his fate. At a 2024 campaign rally, he even fantasized about shooting journalists. However, his comments towards female reporters carry an additional layer of sexism, implying they should be silent and submissive.
This behavior is not new. Alicia Machado, the 1996 Miss Universe winner, has alleged that the former president once called her “Miss Piggy” and made demeaning comments about her weight. His long-standing feud with Rosie O’Donnell has been marked by repeated instances of public sexism, including calling her a “big, fat pig” in 2006 and, more recently, suggesting her American citizenship be revoked – a legally dubious proposition. These incidents, alongside numerous credible accusations of sexual abuse and misconduct which he continues to deny, paint a disturbing picture of his interactions with women.
When questioned about the Air Force One incident, a White House official told The Guardian that the reporter “behaved in an inappropriate and unprofessional way towards her colleagues on the plane… If you’re going to give it, you have to be able to take.” No evidence of inappropriate behavior was provided, suggesting that “giving it” – doing one’s job – is equated with being subjected to personal attacks.
While recent election results demonstrate increased political engagement among women, particularly young, highly educated women who are increasingly disillusioned with the MAGA movement, the need for basic decency in leadership remains paramount. As my colleague Tom Nichols wrote earlier this month, “The United States is now a nation run by public servants who behave no better than internet trolls, deflecting criticism with crassness and obscenity.” The former president’s sexist comments are not merely personal attacks; they are an assault on women’s dignity and a degradation of the office he once held.
Related Stories from The Atlantic:
- The House passed a bill directing the Justice Department to release all of its Jeffrey Epstein–investigation files, achieving near-unanimous support despite months of Republican efforts to avoid a vote. Last night the former president said that House Republicans should vote for the release, insisting, “We have nothing to hide.”
- Federal judges blocked Texas’s new congressional map, calling it a race-based gerrymander. The ruling forces the state to use its map drawn in 2021, a major setback for the former president’s redistricting push.
- The Trump administration announced a plan to dismantle the Education Department, shifting its programs to other federal agencies.
Evening Read:
Illustration by Isabella Cotier
The Social Cost of Being a Morning Person
By Liz Krieger
As my wake-up time has inched earlier, I’ve written more, exercised more consistently, and been able to approach challenges with clarity, well before afternoon fatigue sets in. But every transformation comes with a price. And mine has been paid in evening hours—those crucial moments when families traditionally reconnect after a day apart, when teenagers may be more likely to open up, when friends gather and marriages deepen in the comfortable darkness after responsibilities have been met. I have become a person who gives the best of herself to the morning and offers only the dregs to the night. Read the full article.
Culture Break:
Illustration by Matteo Giuseppe Pani / The Atlantic
Explore. Can you cheat at conversations? A new AI tool promises to improve social interactions but instead makes them worse, Julie Beck writes. Read more.
Watch. In September, Shirley Li recommended the most exciting films heading to theaters through the end of the year—some of which are out now. View the recommendations.
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Rafaela Jinich contributed to this newsletter.
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