Published: January 26, 2026
President Trump has been criticizing female journalists in a blatantly rude and sexist way, at least that is what a few journalists, including myself and others at The Free Press, feel. Situations such as Trump telling Catherine Lucey, as Bloomberg White House correspondent, to “Quiet. Quiet, Piggy”, or calling Katie Rogers, a New York Times correspondent, “ugly, both inside and out.” There have been other situations where President Trump has attacked the intelligence of female reporters. Trump claimed that ABC News chief White House correspondent Mary Bruce had asked a “horrible” and “insubordinate” question, along with calling her a “terrible person” and a “terrible reporter”. In another rude remark about intelligence, Trump asked CBS News chief White House correspondent if she was a “stupid person”, then later continued to say that she was a stupid person and all she was doing was “asking stupid questions.”
Morgan Root-Bolduc, the web editor at The Free Press, got involved with journalism here at the University of Southern Maine because she “figured it would be a good way to practice and just build skills” that would be nice to use in law school. Root-Bolduc wants to be an attorney and “knew the skills you learn and practice in journalism would be helpful for law school as well.” When asked about the ways that President Trump has been handling the female reporters who have been covering his recent presidency, she said that it’s “ridiculous.” The President of the United States should not be referring to anyone as “ugly” or calling them “piggy”. Root-Bolduc says, “Being the president of the United States, there will inevitably be people who look up to you, and he’s setting a terrible model for children and younger men, and just anyone. I mean, if the president can say these things and treat women this way, imagine what a 12-year-old boy thinks he can say or do to women.” Respect in the workforce is already hard enough when you’re a woman, so to have the President of the United States publicly humiliate female journalists is a terrible representation of our country. Root-Bolduc says that “ women journalists who do cover him are incredibly brave and I have so much respect for them, because it can be hard to do your job when the other person is only seeing your gender and not your position.”
As for myself, I got into journalism when I spontaneously joined The Free Press in my second year at USM. I originally joined to strictly publish my poems; however, I quickly got into doing articles. Along my journey working as a staff writer and then as the community editor, I’ve found a love of sharing my voice through writing with the USM community. Journalism was not my first career plan, or even in my top five, until I started at the school paper. To have the President of the United States openly degrade female journalists on their intelligence or their looks is disgusting and dehumanizing. Women already have to prove themselves in the work force; it’s nothing that we aren’t used to. However, we should not have to get used to it by the person who represents our country, no matter who they are. Along with Root-Bolduc, I have immense respect for the female journalists, in fact, all the journalists who report at the White House.
The Co-Editor-in-Chief at The Free Press, Julz Levesque, shared that throughout their life, they’ve felt lost. She shared, “It was the experiences and stories of others that helped me stay afloat. Knowing that others share my same thoughts, passions, values, opinions, and hardships helped me feel less alone.” Levesque has used their voice to advocate for themselves and others. They’ve found journalism fulfilling because “the circulation of information and knowledge is a very powerful thing.” When Julz was growing up, they were told that “you cannot always change the ways of people, but you can plant seeds throughout your life. Those seeds may blossom into change. That’s the heart of journalism.” So to hear what the President of the United States has to say about female journalists, Levesque, like many other journalists at The Free Press, felt like it was “hostile” and “not only an attack on journalism, but specifically an attack on the voices women have long suffered to have and keep having to fight for.” What the President has been saying towards female journalists is “essentially telling intelligent and capable women to ‘shut up’ and to bow to patriarchal values that force women into submissive roles; that their questions, curiosity, anger, passion, and assertiveness should be something to feel ashamed about.” Levesque thinks “that’s what we need most today. I believe the best thing you can do as a woman is to be loud, take up space, and to be angry in a world that seeks to silence you.”
Going forward, all journalists should keep their heads up high, especially female journalists. Don’t let this out-of-pocket criticism wear you down. Now is the time for the piggies to keep speaking; don’t let people silence you.
