President Donald Trump’s latest outburst at a female reporter has sparked a new conspiracy theory among his loyal supporters.
Last Friday, during a flight aboard Air Force One, Trump told Bloomberg reporter Catherine Lucey, "Quiet, piggy," after she asked about the release of Jeffrey Epstein’s files.
The exchange, which was captured on both video and audio, quickly made headlines. However, Trump's supporters online insist the president didn’t use the term "piggy" but instead said "Peggy." They launched a defense of the president’s comments based on this claim on X.
What happened on Air Force One?
The exchange took place on the same day that Trump signed bipartisan legislation mandating the declassification of the Epstein files. While aboard Air Force One, Lucey asked him about the growing calls for transparency regarding Epstein’s ties to influential figures.
In response, Trump raised his finger and snapped at Lucey, telling her to "quiet, quiet piggy!" while she stood off-camera.
Despite the clear audio and video evidence, Trump’s supporters have denied that the president used the word "piggy."
They claim the term was misheard and argue that Trump was addressing Bloomberg's Washington, DC bureau chief, Peggy Collins, not Lucey. The video has sparked a wave of online commentary, as Trump supporters attempt to debunk the accusations against him.
MAGA supporters claim Trump said "Peggy," not "Piggy"
In an attempt to rewrite the narrative, some Trump supporters are now claiming that he was referring to Peggy Collins. Collins, they claim, was the one who had interrupted Trump, even though she was not present on the plane at the time of the exchange.
MAGA fans spread this line of reasoning as if it were fact on X. One person wrote, "Trump said Peggy not piggy for all you cry baby liberals."
Sara McGee, a Democrat running for the Texas House of Representatives, also clapped back at Texas Railroad Commission candidate Tom Slocum, writing, "Would someone please tell Tom that Peggy Collins was not even on the plane? He blocked me because my presentation of facts hurt his feelings," after Slocum pushed the "Peggy" narrative.
Notably, X’s AI bot, Grok, further fueled the "Peggy" claim. Grok suggested in multiple responses to queries that an audio analysis and press pool records confirmed Trump had been addressing Peggy Collins.
According to the bot, Collins had frequently traveled with Trump on Air Force One and had been known to interrupt during briefings.
However, these claims were swiftly debunked. Grok later issued follow-up posts clarifying the confusion, stating that its earlier analysis had been based on "ambiguous audio and hasty name association."
The bot admitted that verified footage and independent transcripts confirmed Trump had indeed said "quiet, piggy" to Catherine Lucey.
Despite this correction, the White House stood by Trump’s actions. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt defended Trump’s response to the reporter. She framed it as a demonstration of "openness" compared to the previous administration’s approach.
"I think the President being frank and open and honest to your faces rather than hiding behind your backs is frankly a lot more respectful," Leavitt remarked.
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