Dwain Northey (Gen X)

Donald, the walking global embarrassment in a red tie long enough to double as a tow rope, has once again demonstrated his world-class contempt for journalism—this time by addressing a reporter as “piggy.” Yes, “piggy.” Because nothing says “leader of the free world” quite like elementary-school cafeteria insults being hurled from a man who once had the nuclear codes.

At this point, it’s honestly unclear whether he’s trying to communicate with adults or auditioning for a reboot of Mean Girls where he plays all three Plastics at once. His entire rhetorical arsenal is basically a grab bag of playground taunts, and somehow every time he reaches inside, he manages to pull out something even more pathetic than the last. It’s like watching a man attempt to perform Shakespeare while armed only with the vocabulary of a cranky second grader.

And the international stage? Oh, they’re watching. They’re always watching. Somewhere out there, world leaders are gathering in quiet rooms, asking, “Did he really call a journalist piggy?” as if they can’t quite believe the United States keeps speed-running the global humiliation leaderboard. Meanwhile, Trump’s base eats it up like it’s a feature, not a catastrophic bug, as though reducing the press to barnyard characters is some kind of masterclass in diplomacy.

Let’s be clear: this isn’t just disrespect for journalism. This is the complete and total absence of respect for anyone who isn’t Donald J. Trump—or, let’s be honest, even people who are Donald J. Trump. But journalists? The people tasked with holding power accountable? He treats them with the same maturity he shows toward umbrellas and ramps.

At this point, it would be less embarrassing if he just showed up to press conferences with a giant Crayola name tag that said “HELLO, I AM MAD TODAY” and communicated exclusively in finger-painted insults. It would at least be thematically consistent.

But no, the man insists on dragging the entire country into yet another round of “Look How Little Respect I Have for Anyone Asking Me a Basic Question.” He is an international embarrassment not by accident, but by sheer relentless dedication. Truly, if weaponized immaturity were an Olympic sport, America would be bringing home gold every time.