In a shocking incident that has sparked widespread condemnation, former US President Donald Trump launched a vile, personal attack on a female journalist, calling her a "piggy" during an exchange about the Jeffrey Epstein files.
The 'Piggy' Outburst: What Happened?
The confrontation occurred on Air Force One as Trump was en route to Washington. Senior CBS White House reporter Jennifer Jacobs was simply performing her professional duties, questioning the former president about his name appearing hundreds of times in emails sent by the convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein. These emails were part of a massive trove of 22,000 documents recently unveiled by Congress.
In a now-viral clip, Trump responded with aggression. He leaned forward, pointed his finger at Jacobs, and shouted: "Quiet! Quiet, piggy." The moment was captured on camera and has left many viewers repulsed by the degrading nature of the insult.
A Calculated Psyche: What Drives the Insults?
While it may appear to be a spontaneous loss of temper, experts argue that this behaviour is far from impulsive. According to criminologist and psychologist Alex Iszatt, Trump's actions are a calculated part of a disturbing psychological pattern rooted in a desperate need for power and dominance.
"Honestly, I think Donald Trump is fairly typical of his class and generation," Iszatt told The Mirror. "He grew up in a world where misogyny was normal and women were expected to be seen and not heard." She elaborated that his billionaire background created a hotbed for elitism and sexism, which were reinforced in environments that rewarded aggression.
Iszatt disputes a diagnosis of narcissistic personality disorder but confirms he exhibits strong grandiose and narcissistic traits. His view of women, she says, is simplistic and transactional: they are either 'Trophies' or 'Tools.'
"Trophies are the women who make him look good... and they are put on a pedestal for their appearance," Iszatt explained. "Tools are the women he uses or humiliates. The moment a Trophy steps out of line she is moved into this category... and if a woman isn't useful he insults her, using names designed to put her back in her place."
A History of Degrading Behaviour
This incident is not an isolated one. Trump has a long and public track record of making degrading and sexualising comments about women, a tactic that became part of his brand during his reality TV career.
On a 2013 episode of Celebrity Apprentice, he told a female contestant: "It must be a pretty picture, you dropping to your knees." He has repeatedly sexualised his own daughter, Ivanka, and once said of Hillary Clinton: "If Hillary Clinton can't satisfy her husband what makes her think she can satisfy America."
Body language expert Judi James notes that Trump's insults are often visually-prompted. His favourite compliment is 'beautiful,' and he applies it to objects and people alike. Conversely, when he insults, he often targets appearance, using words like 'fat' and 'ugly.'
Louise Sunshine, a former employee, told the Washington Post that Trump kept a 'fat picture' of her in his desk drawer to take out when she displeased him, a claim he denies.
A Sign of Strength or Weakness?
Despite the bravado, experts suggest such childish outbursts are actually a sign of weakness, not strength.
"People that accrue power, status and or maturity normally learn to curb the use of personal insults," Judi James stated. "The personal insult would be seen as a sign that someone is losing a debate, not winning it... only one step up from sticking your tongue out and blowing a raspberry."
Alex Iszatt concurs, framing the behaviour as that of a playground bully. "His outbursts aren't a loss of control," she asserted. "They are exactly what you would expect from someone who sees life as a constant battle for dominance, and words are weapons in that battle... I don’t think he is mentally ill, he is cunning, and breaking norms isn’t a loss of control, it is part of his strategy."
This calculated yet child-like approach, where humiliation is a primary tool, reveals a psyche where a desperate need for dominance overrides conventional decorum, with every insult strategically signalling to his base a rejection of political correctness.
