Full Breakdown
Trump’s Repeated Personal Attacks on Female Reporters in 2025
5/13/2026, 10:51:03 PM
Pattern of Confrontations with Female Journalists
Since the start of 2025, President Donald Trump has repeatedly responded to questions from women reporters with personal insults rather than substantive answers. The incidents span press briefings, Oval Office exchanges, and travel-related events, and often involve remarks about intelligence, demeanor, or appearance. Press freedom observers note a consistent shift from policy-focused questioning to direct criticism of the journalist’s character.
Key Figures and Organizations
- Donald Trump – President of the United States.
- Female reporters – Rachel Scott (ABC News), Kaitlan Collins (CNN), Mary Bruce (ABC News), Catherine Lucey (Bloomberg), Katie Rogers (The New York Times), Nancy Cordes (CBS News).
- White House spokespeople – Taylor Rogers, Anna Kelly.
- International Women’s Media Foundation (IWMF) – Global press-freedom advocacy group.
- Dr. Amy Tatum – Lecturer, Bournemouth Media School, England.
Chronology of Documented Incidents
- February 2025 – Trump tells CNN’s Kaitlan Collins, “You are the worst reporter… I don’t think I’ve ever seen you smile.”
- May 7 2025 – During a Lincoln Memorial visit, Trump calls ABC’s Rachel Scott “stupid” and “one of the worst reporters.”
- May 12 2025 – At a White House South Lawn press exchange, Trump says to a reporter, “I doubled the size of it you dumb person. You are not a smart person,” and calls another “a stupid person.”
- Late 2025 – On Air Force One, Trump labels a female reporter “a very obnoxious person.”
- November 2025 – In the Oval Office, Trump tells ABC’s Mary Bruce she is a “terrible person and a terrible reporter.”
- November 2025 – While aboard Air Force One, he interrupts Bloomberg’s Catherine Lucey with “Quiet, quiet piggy.”
- November 2025 – On Truth Social, Trump posts that New York Times reporter Katie Rogers is a “third-rate reporter” who is “ugly, both inside and out.”
- November 2025 – At Mar-a-Lago, he asks CBS’s Nancy Cordes, “Are you stupid? Are you a stupid person?”
Quantified Incidents
The sources enumerate at least eight distinct confrontations with female journalists between February and November 2025, each captured on video or posted publicly.
Official White House Responses
White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers stated that President Trump “answers unrestricted questions nearly every single day” and “holds the press accountable” when outlets “peddle fake news.” Anna Kelly added that “Americans appreciate that President Trump tells it like it is—and obnoxious is obnoxious, no matter what gender you are.”
Criticism from Media-Freedom Advocates
The International Women’s Media Foundation warned that Trump’s remarks illustrate a “pattern of targeting and harassing women journalists,” potentially encouraging online abuse. Dr. Amy Tatum observed that “President Trump may feel emboldened to speak this way about women as there has been little outcry or backlash to such comments he has made, or those made by other politicians or people in power.”
Significance for Press Freedom and Gender Harassment
Observers argue that the personal attacks undermine journalistic independence, may deter women from covering the White House, and contribute to a broader climate of gender-based intimidation in the media.
Discrepancies and Unaddressed Areas
The White House provides no direct comment on the specific insults, and no official response from President Trump is recorded in the sources. Data on subsequent online harassment of the reporters or any institutional repercussions remain absent.
Verbatim Quotes
- “I doubled the size of it you dumb person. You are not a smart person.” — Donald Trump, President of the United States (May 12 2025)
- “You are the worst reporter… I don’t think I’ve ever seen you smile,” — Donald Trump, President of the United States (February 2025)
- “Quiet, quiet piggy,” — Donald Trump, President of the United States (November 2025)
- “ugly, both inside and out” — Donald Trump, President of the United States (November 2025)
- “terrible person and a terrible reporter” — Donald Trump, President of the United States (November 2025)
- “Are you stupid? Are you a stupid person?” — Donald Trump, President of the United States (November 2025)
