The ongoing tension between U.S. presidents and the media is a well-documented aspect of American political life, with each president having moments where questions from the press provoke a strong reaction.
In 2022, President Biden made headlines when he called Fox News’ Peter Doocy “a stupid son of a b***h” following a query about inflation. However, President Donald Trump appears to have escalated his confrontations with the press to a new level.
This combative attitude extends beyond the White House, as evidenced by a recent incident on Air Force One where Trump responded to a question about Jeffrey Epstein with “Quiet, piggy” directed at a reporter.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt commented on the event, calling Trump’s remark a display of “frankness.” The incident has led to the resurfacing of another video clip showing Trump clashing with reporters, prompting some observers to question how he secured the presidency not once, but twice.
The clip captures a moment from mid-September when Trump silenced a persistent reporter during a press briefing. “Quiet. You’re really obnoxious,” Trump, then 79, said after being interrupted.
The reporter continued to press Trump, leading him to turn to ABC’s Jonathan Karl. Interestingly, ABC had previously settled a lawsuit for $15 million with Trump after a defamatory statement about him.
Karl inquired about Trump’s commitment to free speech, including criticism directed at him. Trump began his response calmly, stating, “I’ve become immune to it, there’s never been a person who’s had more unfair publicity than me and that’s why your network paid me $15 million… And that’s why CBS paid me a lot of money too, and that’s why I sued the New York Times two days ago.”
Trump’s irritation grew as he directed his anger at Karl: “The reason I’m winning is you’re guilty Jon. ABC is a terrible network, a very unfair network and you should be ashamed of yourself… and for you to stand there and act so innocent and ask me a question like that…”
Karl attempted to counter Trump’s criticism, prompting the president to respond: “You paid a big price because you were dishonest… so you can’t sit back and ask ‘what do you think’ like you’re some wonderful person.”
Trump’s remarks soon turned personal, much like the “Quiet, piggy” incident. He reiterated, “You’re not a wonderful person. Frankly, you’re a terrible reporter.”
While these episodes have caused concern among those worried about democratic norms, some Trump supporters view his confrontational style as a key reason they backed him. One supporter expressed approval of Trump’s behavior, saying, “I love when he does this. They deserve public humiliation.”