Overview
- On Nov. 14 aboard Air Force One, Trump cut off Bloomberg’s Catherine Lucey with “Quiet. Quiet, piggy” after a question about releasing Justice Department records tied to Jeffrey Epstein.
- A White House official later defended the exchange as a response to “inappropriate and unprofessional” behavior, while Bloomberg said its journalists serve the public by asking questions without fear or favor.
- During a Nov. 18 Oval Office session with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Trump called ABC’s Mary Bruce “a terrible reporter” after queries on Epstein and the Trump family’s Saudi business ties.
- Trump urged regulators to “look at” ABC’s broadcast license in the same exchange, and he dismissed questions about Epstein as a “hoax,” saying he had nothing to do with the financier.
- Congress voted overwhelmingly to require the Justice Department to release Epstein-related records, with the House passing the bill 427–1 and the Senate approving it unanimously before sending it to Trump’s desk.