The White House defended President Donald Trump as “frank and honest” after he called a reporter “piggy” while being asked aboard Air Force One about the government's files on accused sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.
During a White House press briefing on Nov. 20, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt was asked what Trump meant when he called a reporter “piggy,” referring to an interaction with a journalist that went viral online.
While not directly explaining what the president meant, Leavitt defended Trump and said he was elected because of his “frankness.”
“Look, the president is very frank and honest with everyone in this room. You've all seen it yourself. You've all experienced it yourselves,” Leavitt said. “And I think it's one of the many reasons the American people reelected this president because of his frankness.”
While taking questions from reporters aboard the presidential plane on Nov. 14, Trump was asked several times about Epstein, a convicted sex offender. Trump and Epstein had a long-term friendship but fell out in the 2000s. Democratic lawmakers just days before the press gaggle released emails in which Epstein alleged Trump “knew about the girls.”
