Catherine Lucey: From Philadelphia Reporter to Bloomberg White House Correspondent

ByAnam Ilyas

For Catherine Lucey, years of covering American politics eventually put her in one of the most closely watched places in journalism: the White House press corps. But in November 2025, her name became widely known for a brief exchange with President Donald Trump aboard Air Force One.

Lucey was asking Trump about Jeffrey Epstein-related files when she attempted a follow-up question. Trump interrupted her and said, “Quiet. Quiet, piggy.” The official U.S. government transcript identifies Lucey immediately after the remark as a Bloomberg News reporter. (GovInfo)

The moment attracted considerable attention, but the incident represents only a small part of Lucey’s career. Before joining Bloomberg, she spent years reporting for the Associated Press and The Wall Street Journal, covering presidential campaigns, the White House, domestic policy and national politics.

Who Is Catherine Lucey?

Catherine Lucey is a Washington-based White House correspondent for Bloomberg News. Bloomberg’s current biography says she has covered national politics for years and previously worked at The Wall Street Journal and the Associated Press. (Bloomberg)

Her journalism career began in Philadelphia. She studied at the University of Pennsylvania and later worked for the Philadelphia Daily News, where she covered city politics and government. A 2007 Pennsylvania Gazette alumni note identifies Lucey as a Penn graduate working for the Philadelphia Daily News at the time. (The Pennsylvania Gazette)

Catherine Lucey Bloomberg reporter profile photo
Image: Catherine Lucey in her current professional profile image on X. (Image Source: Catherine Lucey’s X profile)

Her early work gave her a foundation in local government and politics before she moved toward national political reporting.

From Philadelphia to the National Political Beat

Lucey eventually moved to Iowa, where she spent several years covering state government and politics for the Associated Press. Iowa’s importance in presidential politics made it an especially significant reporting assignment.

Her byline appeared regularly on AP coverage of the 2016 presidential campaign. For example, she co-wrote AP’s report from Des Moines on the 2016 Iowa caucuses, covering both the Republican contest involving Trump and the Democratic race between Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders. (PBS)

In December 2016, the Associated Press announced its White House team for the incoming Trump administration. Lucey was assigned to cover Ivanka Trump, family and child-care policies and Medicare. (The Associated Press)

That assignment marked an important transition from state and campaign reporting to Washington’s national political beat.

Catherine Lucey at The Wall Street Journal

Lucey later joined The Wall Street Journal, where she became a White House reporter. Her work there covered both the Trump and Biden administrations, according to biographical information published by Bloomberg and other professional profiles. (Bloomberg)

Her reporting also extended beyond daily White House events. During the 2024 presidential election, she covered the campaign, electoral demographics and major policy issues. The AASLD biography prepared for a 2025 appearance also notes that she reported on the change from Joe Biden to Kamala Harris as the Democratic presidential candidate and followed issues including abortion.

Over the years, her reporting has taken her outside the United States as well. Bloomberg’s biography notes that she covered international travel during Trump’s first term and accompanied Biden on trips to places including the Middle East, India and Ireland. (Bloomberg)

Catherine Lucey Bloomberg Role

In March 2025, Lucey joined Bloomberg News as a White House correspondent. (People.com)

The position placed her back at the center of presidential reporting during Trump’s second administration. Her Bloomberg work has included reporting on presidential policy, foreign affairs, political developments and White House activity.

Her continued reporting is also evident from Bloomberg’s current author page. As of September 2026, the page lists her as a White House correspondent and includes stories published in September 2026. (Bloomberg)

Why Did Trump Call Catherine Lucey “Piggy”?

The phrase came during a press exchange on November 14, 2025, aboard Air Force One as Trump traveled to West Palm Beach, Florida.

Lucey first asked Trump what Jeffrey Epstein meant in emails when he said the president “knew about the girls.” Trump responded that he knew nothing about that and shifted the discussion toward Epstein’s relationships with other prominent people. (GovInfo)

Lucey then attempted a follow-up, beginning with a question about whether there was anything incriminating in the files. Before she could finish, Trump interrupted:

“Quiet. Quiet, piggy.”

The official Presidential Documents transcript specifically identifies the reporter as Catherine Lucey, Bloomberg News immediately following the remark. (GovInfo)

So, why did Trump call Catherine Lucey “piggy”? The public record establishes when and in what context he said it, but it does not provide a specific explanation from Trump for why he chose that particular word.

Days later, a White House official defended the president’s conduct, saying Lucey had behaved in what the official characterized as an “inappropriate and unprofessional” manner toward colleagues on the plane. The official did not provide a detailed explanation of what behavior prompted that assessment. (Yahoo News)

Bloomberg responded separately through a spokesperson, saying its White House journalists perform a public-service role by asking questions “without fear or favor” and that the organization remained focused on reporting matters of public interest fairly and accurately. (Inquirer.com)

A Timeline of Catherine Lucey’s Career

  • 1997–2001: Studied at the University of Pennsylvania. (Wikidata)
  • Early career: Began reporting in Philadelphia, covering local politics and government.
  • 2010s: Moved into Iowa political reporting with the Associated Press and covered the 2016 presidential campaign. (PBS)
  • 2016: Joined AP’s incoming Trump-era White House reporting team. (The Associated Press)
Catherine Lucey Associated Press political reporter 2016
Image: Catherine Lucey appearing on C-SPAN while working as an Associated Press government and politics reporter during the 2016 presidential-election period. (Image Source: C-SPAN.)
  • 2019 onward: Worked as a White House reporter for The Wall Street Journal. (IMDb)
  • 2024: Covered the presidential election and major campaign and policy developments.
  • March 2025: Joined Bloomberg News as a White House correspondent. (People.com)
  • November 14, 2025: Trump referred to her as “piggy” during an Air Force One press exchange about the Epstein files. (GovInfo)
  • September 2026: Bloomberg continues to list Lucey as a White House correspondent, with recent bylines appearing in September. (Bloomberg)

Catherine Lucey’s Life Beyond the Headlines

Much of the publicly documented information about Lucey concerns her journalism rather than her private life. One confirmed personal detail is that she married photographer Ryan Donnell in Philadelphia in December 2007. At the time, the couple were reported to be living in Philadelphia, where Lucey covered politics. (The Pennsylvania Gazette)

Catherine Lucey Bloomberg White House correspondent professional portrait
Image: Catherine Lucey, Bloomberg News White House correspondent, in a professional portrait used by the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases. (Image Source: AASLD speaker profile.)

Beyond those limited public details, Lucey has generally remained known primarily for her professional work rather than celebrity-style coverage of her private life.

That distinction is worth keeping in mind as interest in her has grown. The “piggy” exchange introduced her to a much wider audience, but it came after more than two decades of political reporting.

Catherine Lucey remains a White House correspondent for Bloomberg News. Bloomberg’s author page continues to list her in that role, with recent reporting appearing in September 2026. (Bloomberg)

The November 2025 Air Force One exchange remains the incident most closely associated with recent searches for her name, but her current professional record shows that she has continued reporting on the White House and U.S. politics.

Sources:

I’m 𝗔𝗻𝗮𝗺 𝗜𝗹𝘆𝗮𝘀, an MPhil graduate in Forensic Science from Government College University, Lahore, with a background in Medical Laboratory Technology. I’ve always been curious about science and enjoy turning complex ideas into simple, engaging, and easy-to-understand content.

At 𝘾𝙚𝙡𝙚𝙗𝙨𝘼𝙢𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙘𝙖, I look forward to bringing that curiosity into my writing by creating well-researched stories that are informative, clear, and enjoyable to read. I believe good writing should not only share information but also make readers want to keep reading and learn something along the way.

Outside of writing, reading is one of my favorite ways to spend my time. I’ve also always enjoyed drawing and sketching, although that hobby has taken a little back seat lately. Hopefully, I’ll pick up my pencils again someday and reconnect with that creative side of me.

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