White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt on Thursday delivered a forceful defense of President Donald Trump’s viral insult of a female reporter, arguing that his bluntness is one of the reasons the American people re-elected him and is a form of respect.
Leavitt was asked during her briefing about a video clip, recorded on Friday, Nov. 14, aboard Air Force One, where the president snaps “Quiet. Quiet, Piggy” at Bloomberg correspondent Catherine Lucey.
The incident occurred after Lucey began a follow-up question about the Epstein files, asking, “Sir, if there’s nothing incriminating in the files…” before being cut off by the President.
Leavitt framed the startling exchange as an example of Trump’s signature candid nature.
“Look, the president is very frank and honest with everyone in this room,” Leavitt stated, addressing the press corps.“You’ve all seen it yourselves. You’ve all experienced it yourselves. And I think it’s one of the many reasons the American people reelected this president, because of his frankness.”
She went on to suggest that the President’s outbursts are a response to perceived bias.
“He calls out fake news when he sees it. He gets frustrated with reporters when you lie about him, when you spread fake news about him and his administration,” she continued. “But he is also the most transparent president in history, and he gives all of you in this room… unprecedented access. You are in the Oval Office almost every day, asking the president questions.”
The press secretary then directly contrasted Trump’s style with his predecessor’s, claiming Trump’s frankness is a mark of respect.
“And so I think the president being frank and open and honest to your faces, rather than hiding behind your backs, is frankly a lot more respectful than what you saw in the last administration, where you had a president who would lie to your face and then didn’t speak to you for weeks,” Leavitt argued.
“I think everyone in this room should appreciate the frankness and the openness that you get from President Trump on a near-daily basis.”
Leavitt’s statement follows a White House defense to PEOPLE one day earlier, which laid the blame for the confrontation on the journalist.
An official’s statement asserts, without offering any clarity, that “This reporter behaved in an inappropriate and unprofessional way towards her colleagues on the plane,” adding the phrase: “If you’re going to give it, you have to be able to take.”
The “Piggy” comment is part of a pattern of recent tense encounters between the President and female journalists.
Days after the Air Force One incident, Trump had another high-profile clash in the Oval Office during a joint press conference with Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
When ABC’s Mary Bruce asked a question about the murdered Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, followed by a question on the Epstein files, the President angrily scolded the press for “embarrassing our guest.”
He then lashed out at Bruce, saying, “People are wise to your hoax.ABC, your company, your crappy company is one of the offenders.”
Trump went on to suggest that the company’s license should be revoked due to its “fake” coverage.
“But I think the way you asked a question with the anger and the meaning is terrible. You ought to go back and learn how to be a reporter. No more questions from you,” he concluded, singing out Bruce.