When President Donald Trump fired back at a New York Times story analyzing his reduced public schedule and signs of aging, he didn't just dispute the facts. He went after one of the reporters personally, in a way that's become uncomfortably familiar.
His Truth Social post targeting co-author Katie Rogers marked yet another chapter in what's now a well-documented pattern: Trump singling out female journalists with personal, often appearance-based insults. And it's worth noting what he didn't do—launch similar attacks at her male co-author.
Trump has always had a contentious relationship with the press. But the way he engages with female reporters often crosses into different territory entirely. Here are five recent examples that show how women journalists face a particular brand of personal attack.
Attacking The New York Times' Katie Rogers
In response to the Times' report examining his energy levels and public appearances, Trump called White House correspondent Rogers "a third rate reporter who is ugly, both inside and out." Her male co-author, Dylan Freedman, received no such treatment.
The Times didn't back down. A spokesperson defended their work: "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."
"Quiet, Piggy" To Bloomberg's Catherine Lucey
Just two weeks before the Rogers incident, Trump was aboard Air Force One when Bloomberg reporter Catherine Lucey asked him about the Epstein files. He cut her off mid-question with: "Quiet. Quiet, piggy."
The comment was brief, but the contempt was unmistakable.
ABC's Mary Bruce Called "Terrible Person"
When ABC's Mary Bruce pressed Trump about journalist Jamal Khashoggi's murder and the Epstein scandal, he pivoted to criticizing her "attitude." His assessment: "You're a terrible reporter… a terrible person."
The substance of her questions got lost in his focus on her demeanor.
CNN's Kaitlan Collins Labeled "Nasty"
During a 2023 CNN town hall, moderator Kaitlan Collins challenged Trump on his handling of classified documents. His response wasn't to address the documents—it was to call her a "nasty person."
"Nasty" has become something of a go-to descriptor for Trump when dealing with assertive female reporters.
The 2015 Megyn Kelly Controversy
The pattern goes back years. In 2015, Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly questioned Trump about his past comments regarding women during a televised debate. His response to CNN afterward was memorable for all the wrong reasons: there was "blood coming out of her eyes, blood coming out of her wherever."
The remark sparked immediate backlash, widely interpreted as a menstruation reference. Trump and his campaign insisted he meant her nose and claimed he said "whatever," not "wherever."
But he wasn't done. In the same interview, he called Kelly a "lightweight," said he had "no respect for her," and dismissed her as "highly overrated."
Interestingly, Kelly—who eventually left Fox News—has since become a public Trump supporter, illustrating how these relationships can evolve in unexpected ways.
The pattern across these incidents is hard to ignore: when female journalists ask tough questions, the responses often shift from addressing the substance to attacking the person. And the attacks tend to focus on appearance, demeanor, or gendered insults—a treatment their male colleagues rarely experience.
