Former U.S. President Donald Trump publicly escalated his criticism of the news media this week, confronting two female journalists in separate incidents and calling for a major network’s broadcasting license to be revoked.
The latest clash occurred on Tuesday when ABC News reporter Mary Bruce questioned Trump during a White House visit by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Bruce pressed Trump on potential conflicts of interest between his family businesses and Saudi Arabia, as well as the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
Bruce asked why Americans should trust the former president, given U.S. intelligence linking the Crown Prince to Khashoggi’s killing. Trump interrupted, stating, “You are embarrassing our guest.” When Bruce then asked about the Jeffrey Epstein case, Trump’s frustration grew.
“It’s not the question I’m frustrated with, but your attitude,” Trump told Bruce. “You are a very bad reporter.” He also labeled ABC “fake news, one of the worst media!” and prohibited her from asking further questions.
Trump further demanded that the head of the U.S. media regulatory agency consider “removing ABC’s license,” a move widely criticized as an assault on press freedom.
This incident followed another confrontation just days earlier aboard Air Force One with Catherine Lucey of Bloomberg News. Lucey had questioned Trump about his reluctance to release documents related to Jeffrey Epstein.
Details of the Air Force One incident emerged on social media the same Tuesday, intensifying online debate about Trump’s conduct towards the press. Across these encounters, Trump was also reported to have called one female journalist a “piggy.”
The former president’s remarks quickly became a prominent topic across U.S. media and social platforms. CNN reporter Jake Tapper condemned Trump’s language as “disgusting and completely unacceptable.”