US President Donald Trump escalated his verbal attacks on journalists, targeting ABC News reporter Mary Bruce during a White House event with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, just days after he referred to another female journalist as “piggy”.
Bruce questioned Trump about potential conflicts of interest involving his family business dealings with Saudi entities, and later asked the Saudi prince about his alleged role in the 2018 murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, citing US intelligence assessments.
Trump responded sharply, branding ABC as “fake news” and “one of the worst in the business”. He further defended Mohammed bin Salman and said, “You don’t have to embarrass our guest by asking a question like that.”
The president went on to threaten ABC’s broadcast license, stating that the regulator should “look at” revoking it. He also criticised Bruce directly, saying, “I think you are a terrible reporter… No more questions from you.”
A separate confrontation emerged on social media involving Bloomberg reporter Catherine Lucey aboard Air Force One.
When asked about releasing documents related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, Trump reportedly replied:
“Quiet. Quiet, piggy,” while pointing at Lucey.
CNN’s Jake Tapper called the remark “disgusting and completely unacceptable.”
Bruce later raised the Epstein issue during the Oval Office encounter. Congress had just voted to release Epstein-related files. Trump denied any connection and labelled the matter a “hoax”, accusing ABC of contributing to it.
The incidents have drawn strong backlash from media organisations and press freedom advocates, who say Trump’s attacks reflect a troubling pattern of hostility toward journalists—particularly women.
