Karoline Leavitt's Excuse For Donald Trump's 'Piggy' Snap Isn't Convincing Anyone

Even the queen of spinning Donald Trump's bad behavior to the media is struggling with this one. Trump has been getting slammed with brutal backlash since insulting a reporter on Air Force One last week. And, now, as she always does, his press secretary Karoline Leavitt has taken the podium to defend his disrespectful words. This time, though, even Leavitt is having a hard time making Trump's actions seem forgivable.

Q: What did the president mean when he called a reporter "piggy"?

LEAVITT: Look, the president is very frank & honest with everyone in this room. You'll all seen it yourself. You've all experienced it yourselves. And I think it's one of the many reasons the American people... pic.twitter.com/zgEONn3e5v

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) November 20, 2025

"Quiet. Quiet, piggy" was the response heard 'round the world when Bloomberg's White House correspondent Catherine Lucey began to ask Trump why he's trying so hard to keep the Epstein files from seeing the light of day "if there's nothing incriminating in the files" (via The Guardian). Whether you're a diehard MAGA fan or a Trump hater, surely no one expects the controversial president to be anything other than condescending or combative with both women and members of the press. Yet, this dismissive, dehumanizing jab has struck a nerve with the public. So, at her November 20 press briefing, Leavitt had to address the — shall we say — piggy in the room. When asked, "What did the president mean when he called a reporter 'piggy?'" Leavitt made a risky choice. She claimed that Trump hurled an insult at a reporter because he "is very frank and honest" (via X, formerly Twitter).

"The president is very frank and honest with everyone in this room," Karoline Leavitt explained, adding, "You've all experienced it yourselves. And I think it's one of the many reasons that the American people reelected this president ... He gets frustrated with reporters when you lie about him, when you spread fake news about him" (via X). So, in addition to defending Donald Trump's inflammatory words, Leavitt justified his vitriol toward the press while talking to the press. Time and time again, she has gone to bat for Trump when his actions weren't easy to defend. With this particular incident, though, it may have been wiser to adopt a different strategy than basically saying "he called a reporter a piggy because he tells the truth." Based on the response from folks online, this defense isn't sitting well.

"My (extremely republican) dad called me today and mentioned, unprompted, how disgusted he is with Trump's 'quiet piggy' comment ... Even their own base admits it crossed a line," one X user wrote. "They're normalizing disrespect to avoid admitting he's out of control," said another. "Isn't she ashamed as a woman for being an unapologetic proponent of misogyny?" one user asked. Ultimately, Leavitt is on Trump's good side; she repeatedly gets his flirty seal of approval. Yet, if the tide changes, as it often does, she might regret this moment when he ends up calling her a "piggy" too.