Trump Insults Journalist Over Epstein Files

Donald Trump, president of the United States, has a hard time controlling himself when he is contradicted or put on the spot. The Republican politician insulted a Bloomberg journalist last Friday when asked about her relationship with Jeffrey Epstein. “Shut up, shut up, little pig,” said the millionaire who became famous by rudely firing workers in a television contest. This Tuesday he also threatened the ABC News network with withdrawing its license because another journalist asked him about his relationship with Epstein. “I think you’re a terrible reporter,” the Republican said to the White House correspondent for ABC News, Mary Bruce.

Last Friday when the president was traveling aboard Air Force One bound for Mar-a-Lago, his residence in Florida, where he escapes on weekends to play golf, he approached journalists to maintain the usual informal meeting that he usually has with the professionals who accompany him during his travels. At that time, Catherine Lucey, Bloomberg’s White House correspondent, took advantage to ask why Trump was behaving that way “if there is nothing incriminating in the files.” The angry president responded “Shut up, shut up, little pig.”

Trump’s comment did not emerge until this Tuesday after it began to circulate on social networks. Trump’s reaction to Bloomberg journalist Catherine Lucey’s question asking why does not order publishing all files of the Epstein case if, as he claims, he is not involved in the case, it has provoked a flood of criticism.

Social networks have been filled with memes caricaturing Trump. The official X account of the press office of the Democratic governor of California, Gavin Newson, who in recent months has become Trump’s scourge, has been filled with memes about the case.

Popular CNN anchor Jake Tapper “Disgusting and unacceptable,” CNN anchor Jake Tapper wrote on the social network X, sharing a video of the incident.

Former Fox News host Gretchen Carlson also called the comment “disgusting and degrading.” “It affects me deeply, as I myself suffered a similar shame,” Gretchen wrote in a post on the social network X.

The information fire was fueled this Tuesday after Trump threatened ABC News with withdrawing its license due to an annoying question from a journalist. “I don’t like your attitude,” the president told Bruce. “You should go back to studying journalism. No more questions from you,” said an upset Trump in the Oval Office, where he met this Wednesday with eThe crown prince of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salmán.

“I think they should take away ABC’s license. Because their news is so false and so wrong,” according to CNBC. “We have a great commissioner, who should look into that,” he added, apparently referring to Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr, whose agency oversees broadcast licensing.

Carr was already the protagonist last September when he threatened to withdraw the license of the ABC network after comments by comedian and presenter Jimmy Kimmel about the murder of Charlie Kirk.

Shortly after, the network announced the suspension of Kimmel’s show. Although criticism and popular pressure on ABC’s parent company, Disney, caused the network to back down who re-aired the program a few weeks later.

Trump’s insults and threats against media outlets and journalists who ask him questions he doesn’t like or publish information that makes him uncomfortable are constant. He has recently sued the BBC after the broadcast of a program that held him directly responsible for the assault on the Capitol during January 2021. The general director of the British network has resigned after the controversy.