Quiet, Piggy
Donald Trump was asked a valid question about the Jeffrey Epstein files - if he wants them released, why was he waiting on Congress when he can release them at any time without Congress legally requiring him to. He had two words in response to Catherine Lucey, the reporter who was asking him:
“Quiet, piggy.”
That sort of sexist insult would have been a major scandal in the past. In 2025, it only made it a few days in the press. The president is an immoral misogynist which is almost never spoken of any more. While there are more direct harms to Americans’ lives, we should continue to discuss what a profoundly evil man Donald Trump is.
Donald Trump has a history of calling women pigs, but this was the President of the United States calling a woman a pig about Air Force One because she had the audacity to ask him why he wasn’t releasing files he claims to want released when he has the authority to do so. None of the other reporters present reiterated her question. None of the other reporters present interjected to say men shouldn’t be calling women pigs.
Last week, Trump hosted Saudi Arabian Prince Mohammed bin Salman in the White House. Bin Salman directed the murder of Jamal Khashoggi, a US resident and opinion writer at the Washington Post. Khashoggi was lured to an embassy where a team assembled by bin Salman murdered him and then cut his body into small pieces to hide their tracks. In the aftermath of this murder, Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner advised the Saudis on how to deal with public relations to downplay the impact of the murder. The Saudis would later invest billions in Kushner’s company.
Trump fawned over the prince during the entire meeting, in stark contrast to his antagonist treatment of US ally Vladimir Zelenskyy. ABC News correspondent Mary Bruce asked Trump about Khashoggi’s assassination and the Saudi Arabian government’s ties to the 9/11/2001 attack. The president immediately defended bin Salman, saying he wasn’t involved in the killing and did a lot of business with the Trump family. He then attacked Mary Bruce, calling her “insubordinate” and “a terrible reporter.” He said ABC News should have their license revoked. For 10 years, Donald Trump has been threatening to revoke network broadcasting licenses. Networks do not have licenses. Local affiliates (which may be owned by the network) do. Trump has never understood this.
But the larger issue here is that Trump cannot help but be a misogynist, using sexist attacks to silence the women who dare question him - even when those questions are explicitly their job. These sexist attacks are vehicles for Trump to continue promoting his lies. Those lies have permeated his entire administration and consequently, last week was another awful one for Donald Trump in court.
The James Comey and Letitia James cases were thrown out today with rulings that Lindsey Halligan was illegally appointed to her US attorney position. (Halligan is the THIRD US attorney found to be illegally appointed just this year.) The Comey case already had major issues as Halligan prepared two different indictments. In filings last week she said both that the grand jury was not presented with the actual indictment and that the grand jury WAS shown the actual indictment. She was lying for one of these statements.
In the still ongoing Kilmar Abrego case, the government has been caught lying about the facts of the case AGAIN. At one point the government planned on removing Abrego to Costa Rica, which he agreed to. The government then said Costa Rica rescinded the offer. They never did. Costa Rica is now publicly saying the offer has been on the table the entire time. After being delayed for eight months, the contempt proceedings regarding the government’s original lies in this case are finally proceeding.
In October, Border Patrol in Chicago shot Marimar Martinez multiple times, saying she had threatened them with her vehicle. They lied. Video of the incident is now available. Border Patrol crashed into her with an agent on video talking about shooting her before any confrontation. He sent text messages afterwards bragging about how many holes he put in Ms. Martinez. Prosecutors have withdrawn the case against her.
In a now stayed injunction, Judge Sara Ellis pointed out the multitude of lies CBP and Border Patrol Commander Greg Bovino have told regarding use of force during Border Patrol operations in Chicago. Multiple times CBP and/or Bovino justified using chemical munitions against protestors saying they were attacking agents when no such attacks took place.
In the case regarding deploying the National Guard in Oregon, the government was lying about conditions in Portland in order to justify sending in troops to deal with protestors. (A judge has similarly blocked Guard deployment to Washington, D.C.)
The legal domain has a term called “presumption of regularity.” In simplest terms, it means deference is given to the government in court as the government won’t blatantly lie. Donald Trump, Pam Bondi, and their lawyers have shattered the presumption of regularity. Judges themselves are starting to take note of this erosion, pointing out that the government keeps lying to them.
The courts this year have largely been a bulwark against the desires of Donald Trump and Stephen Miller. But it isn’t discussed enough that the government under Trump keeps lying in court. Nor is it discussed enough that the president is a sexist monster who continually insults women who ask him routine questions.
America should be better than this. America deserves better than Donald Trump. Whatever the path forward looks like when this is over, we have to collectively agree that the president should be a decent person. Because right now he is not. And we know what the consequences of that are.
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