President Donald Trump raged at a female ABC News reporter for her “attitude” after she asked about his family’s business in Saudi Arabia and the Jeffrey Epstein files.
The president went on the defensive Tuesday after ABC News’ Chief White House Correspondent Mary Bruce quizzed him, berating her as a “terrible person and a terrible reporter” and called for her network to lose its license. It comes days after he told another female reporter to be “quiet, piggy,” during an exchange on Air Force One.
“It's not the question that I mind. It's your attitude,” Trump said, as members of the press gathered to cover Trump’s meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in the Oval Office.
“I think you are a terrible reporter. It's the way you ask these questions. You start off with a man who is highly respected, asking him a horrible, insubordinate and just a terrible question. You could even ask that same exact question nicely.”
Trump continued: “You're all psyched. Somebody psychs you over at ABC, they're going to psych it — you're a terrible person and a terrible reporter. As far as the Epstein files is, I have nothing to do with Jeffrey Epstein. I threw him out of my club many years ago because I thought he was a sick pervert.”
Trump then called for the network’s license to be reviewed.
“I think the license should be taken away from ABC, because your news is so fake and it’s so wrong, and we have a great commissioner, chairman, who should look at that,” Trump added, appearing to refer to Federal Communications Commission Chair, Brendan Carr.
Bruce had first posed a question about the Trump family’s business dealings in Saudi Arabia.
“Is it appropriate, Mr. President, for your family to be doing business in Saudi Arabia while you’re president? Is that a conflict of interest?” she asked.
And turning to the Saudi crown prince, she followed up: “And, your Royal Highness, the U.S. Intelligence concluded that you orchestrated the brutal murder of a journalist — 9/11 families are furious that you are here in the Oval Office. Why should Americans trust you? And the same to you, Mr President.”
Trump responded by asking Bruce which outlet she was with.
“Fake news. ABC fake news, one of the worst in the business,” he said. “But I’ll answer your question. I have nothing to do with the family business.”
Trump also attempted to dismiss Bruce’s other question, which referenced late Washington Post journalist, Jamal Khashoggi, who was murdered in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in 2018. The CIA concluded that the Saudi crown prince ordered Khashoggi's assassination, according to a 2021 report.
“A lot of people didn't like that gentleman that you're talking about, whether you like him or didn't like him,” the president said. “Things happen, but he knew nothing about it. And we can leave it at that.”
Several minutes later, Bruce asked Trump about the Epstein files, prompting him to call for ABC to lose its license.
"Mr. President, why wait for Congress to release the Epstein files? Why not just do it now?" Bruce asked.
Later on Tuesday, the House of Representatives voted to release the Justice Department’s files on Epstein, a sex offender and wealthy financier who died by suicide in 2019. The measure will now go to the Senate.
For months, Republican lawmakers and Trump had sought to quash the House from voting on the measure, which would force the administration to release documents and communications about Epstein’s alleged child sex trafficking ring and ties to high-profile individuals.
The president repeatedly accused Democrats of manufacturing a “hoax” around the files to distract the public from Republican successes. But he reversed course on Sunday, urging House Republicans to vote in favor of the measure, so the party can “move on” from the “Democrat Hoax.”
Trump regularly insults reporters, calling some “the worst.” This past Sunday, Trump labelled a reporter “the worst” who asked a question about right-wing podcaster Nick Fuentes while he was speaking.
“Will you let me finish my statement?” Trump snapped. “You are the worst. You’re with Bloomberg, right? You are the worst, I don’t know why they even have you.”
On Friday, Trump also told a journalist to be “quiet, piggy,” after she asked about the Epstein files. The reporter was named as Bloomberg News’ White House Correspondent Catherine Lucey by multiple news outlets. The Independent has asked Bloomberg for comment.
“Our White House journalists perform a vital public service, asking questions without fear or favor,” a Bloomberg spokesperson told The Guardian. “We remain focused on reporting issues of public interest fairly and accurately.”
A White House official told The Independent that the reporter “behaved in an inappropriate and unprofessional way towards her colleagues on the plane.” The official did not explain what the behavior was.
“If you’re going to give it, you have to be able to take,” the official added.
Trump has insulted other high-profile women in the media, while campaigning and in the White House. In 2016, he called Megyn Kelly, a former Fox News host and conservative media personality, “crazy.” Two years later, he also accused CNN’s Abby Phillip of asking “a lot of stupid questions.”
The president often doles out derisive nicknames to reporters. He regularly refers to ABC News’ George Stephanopoulos as “George Slopadopoulos,” and even used the nickname last month while answering questions during a meeting with Argentine President Javier Milei. Trump has referred to Maggie Haberman, a New York Times White House correspondent, as “Maggot” Haberman.
