Governor Gavin Newsom mocked White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt after she defended President Trump for calling a reporter a "quiet piggy," sharing a satirical image likening her to Effie Trinket from The Hunger Games. Leavitt argued the president's candor is why voters reelected him and urged the public to value his transparency. The White House and some Republicans downplayed the incident, while critics say it reflects a pattern of hostile treatment of female journalists. The episode has reignited debate over presidential conduct and the press office's role.
Newsom Mocks White House Press Secretary After Her Defense of Trump's 'Piggy' Remark
Governor Gavin Newsom mocked White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt after she defended President Trump for calling a reporter a "quiet piggy," sharing a satirical image likening her to Effie Trinket from The Hunger Games. Leavitt argued the president's candor is why voters reelected him and urged the public to value his transparency. The White House and some Republicans downplayed the incident, while critics say it reflects a pattern of hostile treatment of female journalists. The episode has reignited debate over presidential conduct and the press office's role.
10:51 AM, 11/21/2025Politics
California Gov. Gavin Newsom publicly mocked White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt after she defended President Donald Trump following a viral clip in which he told a reporter to "quiet piggy" during questioning about Jeffrey Epstein. Newsom reposted Leavitt's remarks on X and attached a satirical image casting her as Effie Trinket from The Hunger Games, a character associated with the ostentatious and morally hollow Capitol.
At a briefing, Leavitt told reporters that the president is "very frank and honest" and suggested that candor is "one of the many reasons the American people reelected" him. She also acknowledged that Trump sometimes "gets frustrated with reporters" while urging the public to "appreciate the frankness and the openness" his team provides.
"He is very frank and honest — one of the many reasons the American people reelected him," Leavitt said at the podium.
The White House sought to shift focus after the clip circulated, saying the reporter involved "behaved in an inappropriate and unprofessional way toward her colleagues on the plane" and adding, "If you're going to give it, you have to be able to take it." Representative María Elvira Salazar, among others, also downplayed the episode.
Critics pointed out that the incident fits a longer pattern of hostile exchanges between the president and female journalists. During his 2016 campaign, Trump made crude comments about then-Fox News host Megyn Kelly after she questioned him; more recently he told another reporter to "learn how to be a reporter" after a separate exchange.
Leavitt has repeatedly defended the president at press briefings, including on questions about domestic violence and emails linked to Jeffrey Epstein that some say suggest the president had knowledge of allegations — claims he denies. Leavitt's representatives did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Why it matters
The exchange has renewed debate about presidential decorum, how the White House press office defends the president, and the treatment of female journalists. Newsom's satirical post amplified that debate by portraying the press secretary as a loyal, theatrical defender rather than an independent conduit between the administration and the public.