President Trump Escalates Personal Attacks on Female Journalists
Donald Trump has launched another deeply personal attack against a female journalist, this time targeting New York Times reporter Katie Rogers by calling her "ugly inside and out" in a Truth Social post on Wednesday. This marks the latest in a series of inflammatory remarks directed at women in the media by the president.
Health Questions Trigger Presidential Fury
The outburst was prompted by a New York Times article that questioned whether Trump, now the oldest person ever to hold the presidency at 80 years old, was showing signs of slowing down. The article specifically noted that during a 6th November Oval Office event, the president appeared drowsy with his "eyelids drooped until his eyes were almost closed, and he appeared to doze on and off for several seconds."
In his social media response, Trump vehemently denied any health concerns, insisting he has "never worked so hard in my life" while specifically targeting Rogers, whom he described as "a third rate reporter who is ugly, both inside and out."
Pattern of Behaviour Towards Female Journalists
This incident follows a pattern of similar behaviour from Trump toward female members of the press. Less than two weeks ago, he referred to Bloomberg News White House correspondent Catherine Lucey as "piggy" during an exchange aboard Air Force One. The confrontation occurred when Lucey questioned Trump about his behaviour regarding the Epstein files.
Last week also saw Trump clash with ABC News White House correspondent Mary Bruce, telling her she was "a terrible person and a terrible reporter" after she asked about the murder of Jamal Khashoggi and the Epstein scandal.
The New York Times stood firmly behind its reporting and journalist. Charlie Stadtlander, a spokesperson for the newspaper, stated: "The Times's reporting is accurate and built on first hand reporting of the facts. Name-calling and personal insults don't change that, nor will our journalists hesitate to cover this administration in the face of intimidation tactics like this."
Health rumours surrounding the president have been circulating for months, with additional questions raised after Trump admitted to having an MRI last month. While he claimed this was part of a standard physical examination, he declined to reveal which body part was analyzed during the test.
Trump's history of making personal attacks against female journalists extends back years, including previously calling female reporters "nasty" and referencing menstruation to dismiss questions from Megyn Kelly during his 2016 presidential campaign.
