Trump revives ‘piggy’ insult once hurled at him by Ed Koch in 1980s feud

WASHINGTON, DC: Nearly four decades before President Donald Trump stunned reporters aboard Air Force One by calling Bloomberg journalist Catherine Lucey “piggy,” the insult had been used against him by a New York City mayor who famously clashed with him during one of Trump’s earliest high-profile development battles.

Trump’s recent comment, which went viral and sparked widespread backlash, echoed a 1980s feud with then-Mayor Ed Koch, who publicly mocked the young developer as “piggy, piggy, piggy, piggy Donald Trump” during a bitter fight over Trump’s proposed “Television City” megaproject.

Donald Trump channels decades-old insult in tense exchange with Catherine Lucey on Air Force One

The latest controversy unfolded on November 14 aboard Air Force One, when Lucey asked Trump about his past ties to sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The president abruptly cut her off, pointing a finger and snapping: “Quiet. Quiet, piggy.”

The remark quickly dominated social media, inspiring memes and criticism, and the phrase “quiet, piggy” trended across platforms. The White House defended Trump, with an official telling PEOPLE, “This reporter behaved in an inappropriate and unprofessional way towards her colleagues on the plane. If you’re going to give it, you have to be able to take it.”

The official did not provide further details, while CNN’s Kaitlan Collins defended Lucey, saying she does “a great job.” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt later dismissed concerns, arguing Trump’s directness is part of what voters appreciate. “Look, the president is very frank and honest with everyone in this room,” she said, claiming his openness is “a lot more respectful” than media treatment under Joe Biden.

Feud between Donald Trump and Ed Koch traced to disputed 1980s Television City project

Long before entering politics, Trump had been on the receiving end of the same insult. In the mid-1980s, he was pursuing an enormous Upper West Side development he hoped NBC would use as its new headquarters. Koch opposed the plan, particularly Trump’s request for unprecedented tax abatements, which Koch claimed were “three times” higher than anything previously granted.

Their dispute escalated into a personal public battle. Trump called Koch a “horrible manager,” “moron,” and someone who “can’t hack it anymore.” At one press conference, he blasted city leadership as “totally incompetent.”

Koch responded in kind, calling Trump “greedy, greedy, greedy,” and saying, “If Donald Trump is squealing like a stuck pig, I must have done something right.” In one memorable moment, Koch referred to him as “piggy, piggy, piggy, piggy Donald Trump” while insisting he wouldn’t let negotiations “degenerate into a barnyard kind of contest."

The Television City project ultimately collapsed, and Trump replaced his grand vision with a scaled-down development.

The Air Force One incident was not Trump’s first accusation of using “piggy” toward a woman. Former Miss Universe Alicia Machado recalled Trump mocking her weight during the 1990s, greeting her with “Hello, Miss Piggy” or “Hello, Miss Housekeeping.” She said she was intimidated, noting, “He’d yell at me all the time.”

Leavitt reinforced the administration’s stance, saying during a Nov. 20 briefing that Trump’s bluntness was key to his political appeal. “I think everyone in this room should appreciate the frankness and the openness that you get from President Trump on a near-daily basis,” she said.