Former President Donald Trump had titanic opposition. This came after he aimed obscenities at Associated Press reporter Catherine Lucey during a contentious recent press gaggle. The 45th president—famed for his contentious relationships with the press—called Lucey a “loser.” He attacked her personally, saying she didn’t know “what the hell she’s doing.” This occurrence is illustrative of a worsening trend of Trump’s antagonistic strategy against women in the media.
Lucey, then a reporter for The Associated Press, pressed Trump on the Jeffrey Epstein scandal. She then pressed him, too, on whether he will release other related documents. In response to her question, Trump pointed at Lucey and ordered her to “be quiet.” He followed up, though, by body shaming her, calling her a “piggy.” This comment understandably went viral on the social media platform, but what followed was a tsunami of denunciations from journalists and media advocates.
Additionally, Trump’s history of attacking women journalists is well known. Most infamously, in 2017 he called then–American Urban Radio Networks reporter April Ryan a “loser.” In 2018, Trump administration official Lynne Patton attacked Ryan below the belt, describing her as Miss Piggy. Patton soon found it necessary to apologize for her tactless comments. Alicia Machado, the first Miss Universe winner from Venezuela, outlined her experience with Trump. She disclosed that he used to call her “Miss Piggy” and forced her to diet.
The International Women’s Media Foundation (IWMF) condemned Trump’s statement. They see these comments as symptomatic of a broader and frankly sinister expression of derogatory language aimed toward women of color on the journalism front. Elisa Lees Muñoz, the organization’s executive director, went further in lashing out at Trump’s comments. She noted that his attacks are tactical strikes meant to intimidate and mute women in the press.
“His appearance-based insults are gendered attacks meant to shut women journalists up.” – Elisa Lees Muñoz, IWMF’s executive director
The response from our media community has been immediate and overwhelming. Fellow journalists, both established and rising, have spoken out over the importance of Lucey’s original reporting, underscoring that she was asking the tough question when it really mattered. Indeed, there’s been a lot of call for more respect by the public, and especially towards female reporters. They underscore this requirement, in particular, with Trump’s past of making such statements.
“Be careful how you call people names when you are in the pig pen yourself getting ready to go up for the slaughter.” – Anonymous
April Ryan reacted strongly to Trump’s behavior, stating, “The president of the United States is supposed to be the moral leader, the leader of the country, and he’s acting like some thug on the street.” Her statements are a reflection of what many are feeling. They’re convinced Trump’s incendiary rhetoric is diminishing journalism’s credibility and maligning the women who work in journalism.
Despite the outcry, the White House Correspondents’ Association has so far declined to comment on Trump’s insulting comments. A senior White House official responded to the unceremonious insult recently served up on Lucey. Even worse, they accused her of provoking Trump and thus being responsible.
“If you’re going to give it, you have to be able to take.” – White House official
Lucey’s question about the Epstein case couldn’t have come at a better time. Rather than defend anyone, Trump turned the tables on his critic, launching into a series of personal attacks. This kind of behavior, as observers pointed out, is designed to intimidate journalists and prevent them from asking tough questions in the first place.