This Is What Happens When Cruelty Has a Microphone

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I hate having to keep writing about this stuff. I wish I didn’t. I wish the world would give us a break. But here we are again because the President of the United States decided to call a female reporter “Piggy.” And whether we like it or not, it matters.

Words matter. Language matters. It shapes culture. It teaches people how to treat each other. It signals what is acceptable and what will be tolerated. When the leader of the free world calls a woman “Piggy,” it is not a joke. It is misogyny, sexism, and power on full display.

And let’s be clear. “Piggy” is also anti-fat. It is weaponized body shaming. It tells the world that ridiculing someone’s body size is fair game. When the President uses that word, it reinforces the idea that bodies can be mocked publicly and that thinness equals worth. That is not harmless. It is deeply damaging.

This is men behaving badly. Full stop.

And here is the part that makes me furious. There is no apology. Shockingly, he doubled down. His Press Secretary Karolie Leavitt defended his comments with this quote:

“The president is very frank and honest with everyone in this room. You’ve seen it yourself. You’ve all experienced it yourselves. And I think it’s one of the many reasons that the American people re-elected this president, because of his frankness. And he calls out fake news when he sees it. He gets frustrated with reporters when you lie about him, when you spread fake news about him and his administration.”

She added: “The president being frank and open and honest to your faces, rather than hiding behind your backs, is, frankly, a lot more respectful than what you saw in the last administration.”

No remorse. No apology. Not a moment of, “Yeah, I got angry, I lost my cool, and said something I shouldn’t have.” No. Instead, the real truth is as Ms. Leavitt says, he’s frank, honest, and that’s why he was re-elected.

The lack of acknowledgement does just as much harm. It sends a message that is loud and clear: go ahead. Do the same. There will be no consequences.

For boys and men watching, the lesson is horrifyingly simple. If you have enough power, you can say anything you want. You can demean women. You can shame someone’s body. You can hide behind bravado. You never have to admit you were wrong because in your mind, you never are.

This is why I keep commenting on this garbage. Because until men, especially white men in positions of privilege and power, stand up publicly and say, “No. That is wrong,” nothing changes.

Let me be clear: there is no justification for calling a woman “Piggy.” None. Not in politics. Not in a newsroom. Not anywhere.

And while we’re on this, I have to say something I wish I didn’t have to keep repeating. This does not give anyone permission to shame President Trump’s body in return. We don’t fight misogyny with body shaming. We don’t fight harm with more harm. We hold people accountable without replicating the very systems we’re trying to dismantle.

And let’s be honest. The absence of an apology is not strength. It is cowardice. It takes humility to say you caused harm. It takes maturity to repair it. It takes integrity to own your words.

So yes. I will keep talking about this. Until men act better. Until our leaders speak with respect. Until we finally learn that words do not disappear once they leave our mouths. They land on people. They cause harm. They shape culture.

We deserve better than this. Women deserve better than this. Boys deserve better than this.

And men need to do better. Starting with calling this what it is. Wrong.

If this hit you the way it hit me, share it. Forward it. Talk about it. We can’t change the culture if we stay quiet. And if you want more writing like this — honest, messy, and unfiltered — subscribe to The Unscripted Journey. Let’s keep pushing back together.