The White House has come to the defence of US President Donald Trump after two recent confrontations with women journalists from major American news outlets triggered a broad discussion. In both instances, Trump was seen publicly rebuking reporters for their questions, with strong reactions in the media landscape.
White House pushes back against criticism
With growing criticism, the White House rejected the accusations against the President of acting inappropriately. The senior official, who was talking to AFP on condition of anonymity, justified Trump's "quiet, Piggy" remark towards Bloomberg reporter Catherine Lucey. According to him, the journalist had acted " in an inappropriate and unprofessional way towards her colleagues." " If you're going to give it, you have to be able to take," he said.
The administration also called ABC News a “Democrat spin operation masquerading as a broadcast network,” reflecting growing tensions between the White House and news outlets. To bolster its argument, the administration issued a fact sheet enumerating what it called “a deliberate deception to wage war” on Trump and the “millions of Americans who elected him to multiple terms,” said AFP.
Clashes with ABC and Bloomberg reporters
As per a report by the Hindustan Times, the latest confrontation occurred on Tuesday in the Oval Office during the visit of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. ABC News correspondent Mary Bruce asked the crown prince about the 2018 killing of a dissident Saudi journalist, the business dealings of Trump's family, and controversies related to Jeffrey Epstein. Trump berated Bruce, telling her not to "embarrass our guest" and labelling her a "terrible reporter." He also threatened to revoke ABC's broadcast license.
Another incident occurred last week on Air Force One. In response to a question from Bloomberg’s Catherine Lucey about why the administration was reluctant to release material on Epstein, Trump called her, “Quiet, Piggy.” Video of the exchange showed multiple reporters talking at once, a completely predictable result when trying to get the President’s attention.
