A veteran White House journalist found herself at the centre of a political storm this week after former President Donald Trump angrily labelled her "piggy" during questioning about the Jeffrey Epstein case files.
Confrontation Over Epstein Documents
Catherine Lucey, a White House reporter for Bloomberg News with more than two decades of journalistic experience, was questioning Trump about the trove of emails from Jeffrey Epstein's estate released by the House Oversight Committee when the confrontation erupted.
Footage released by the White House shows the former president waving a finger in Lucey's face before snapping: "Quiet, quiet piggy!" as she stood off camera during the exchange last Friday.
White House Defends Treatment of Journalist
A White House official defended Trump's treatment of the journalist to the Daily Mail, claiming Lucey had "behaved in an inappropriate and unprofessional way towards her colleagues on the plane."
"If you're going to give it, you have to be able to take," the official added in comments that have drawn criticism from media organisations.
The incident represents the second time Trump has targeted Lucey recently. On Sunday, he lashed out against her again when she asked about an interview Tucker Carlson conducted with right-wing provocateur Nick Fuentes.
"You are the worst! You're with Bloomberg, right? You are the worst!" Trump told Lucey at the time. "I don't know why they even have you."
Accomplished Journalist's Distinguished Career
Lucey brings substantial credentials to her role, having joined Bloomberg nearly a year ago after previously serving as a White House reporter at both the Wall Street Journal and the Associated Press for over a decade.
Her career began as an editorial assistant for the Associated Press in 2001, according to her LinkedIn profile. Before her Washington assignments, she reported on Iowa's state government for the Associated Press following a lengthy stint as a City Hall reporter for the Philadelphia Daily News.
The journalist has yet to comment publicly on the controversy surrounding Trump's remarks, which CNN's Jake Tapper described as "disgusting."
Epstein Files Release Moves Forward
The heated exchange occurred as the House overwhelmingly passed a bill that will compel the Justice Department to release all its records surrounding the Epstein case. Trump signed the legislation into law on Monday.
Speaking in the Oval Office after signing the bill, Trump claimed: "It's really a Democrat problem. The Democrats were Epstein's friends, all of them, and it's a hoax."
The former president has faced mounting pressure in recent months regarding the extent of his relationship with the late financier Jeffrey Epstein, who died in prison while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.
On Sunday, before the confrontation with Lucey, Trump had posted on Truth Social that House Republicans should vote to release the files, stating "we have nothing to hide."
