White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt defended President Trump after he reportedly called a reporter “piggy.” When pressed about the remark, Leavitt praised the president’s frankness and said his openness explains his reelection and the access provided to the press. She contrasted that access with what she described as the prior administration’s reluctance to engage, then moved on when a follow-up question was raised.
Leavitt Defends Trump’s 'Piggy' Remark, Tells Reporters to 'Appreciate' His Openness
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt defended President Trump after he reportedly called a reporter “piggy.” When pressed about the remark, Leavitt praised the president’s frankness and said his openness explains his reelection and the access provided to the press. She contrasted that access with what she described as the prior administration’s reluctance to engage, then moved on when a follow-up question was raised.
04:00 AM, 11/21/2025Politics
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt defended President Donald Trump after reports that he called a reporter “piggy” aboard Air Force One. The exchange occurred during a Thursday briefing when reporter Natalie Allison pressed Leavitt about the remark, which was reportedly directed last Friday at journalist Catherine Lucey.
Allison asked directly, “What did the president mean when he called reporter piggy?” Leavitt responded with an extended defense of the president’s tone and relationship with the press.
“Look, the president is very frank and honest with everyone in this room. You’ve all seen it yourself. You’ve experienced it yourselves. And I think it’s one of the many reasons that the American people reelected this president because of his frankness. And 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, but he also is the most transparent president in history. And he gives all of you in this room, as you all know, unprecedented access. You are in the Oval Office almost every day asking the president questions.”
Leavitt went on to contrast the current White House’s engagement with the press with that of the prior administration, arguing that the president’s directness and frequent access to reporters is more respectful than being kept at a distance.
“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 lied to your face and then didn’t speak to you for weeks and hid upstairs and didn’t take your question. So I think everyone in this room should appreciate the frankness and the openness that you get from President Trump on a near-daily basis.”
When Allison attempted a follow-up, Leavitt cut the exchange short and moved on to call on another reporter. The briefing ended without further public clarification of the original comment.