During a recent briefing, the president’s chief spokesperson, press secretary Karoline Leavitt, was offered an opportunity to defend, or at least to explain, Trump’s degrading behavior. She seemed to anticipate the question and presented a prepared answer.

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 reelected this president

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com) 2025-11-20T18:56:44.614Z

....If this was intended to be persuasive, it failed.

First, the proposition that Trump is “honest” with journalists is hilarious, in addition to being demonstrably ridiculous. Second, whether or not Leavitt appreciates this, there’s a difference between “being frank and open” and “being a bully.” Third, framing the dynamic as the president getting “frustrated with reporters” when they “lie” about him makes it sound as if it’s journalists’ fault that he throws around juvenile, insulting taunts when they publish reports he doesn’t like.

As for “the most transparent president in history,” perhaps Leavitt can get back to us after the public gets access to his tax returns, the Epstein files, the reason for his recent MRI and the video of border czar Tom Homan allegedly accepting a bag full of cash from undercover FBI agents.

But perhaps most amazing of all was the press secretary’s suggestion that media professionals should appreciate the president calling a reporter “piggy,” because he’s being “more respectful” than that rascally Joe Biden.

Trump originally levied the insult during a press gaggle late last week, suggesting Leavitt had six days to come up with some kind of coherent defense. This, evidently, was the best she could do.