A Trump official called a journalist “Miss Piggy” on Twitter, and the internet is outraged
President Donald Trump and his administration are widely known for their controversial statements. And yesterday, January 24th, Trump official Lynne Patton came under fire when she insulted journalist April Ryan on Twitter, calling her “Miss Piggy.”
A Twitter feud between the two women escalated on January 24th after one Twitter user tweeted a video of Ryan, a White House correspondent, saying she had received death threats. Patton, who works for the Department of Housing and Urban Development, responded that, as a conservative black woman, she had also been threatened. Ryan and Patton continued to trade insults, with Patton calling Ryan a “blogger from a bankrupt outlet” and Ryan saying that Patton was a “fruit loop” and a “washed up wedding planner.”
The spat ended in Patton taking a dig at Ryan’s weight.
"I hear #MissPiggys still on a rampage," Patton wrote in a caption under a photo of Ryan. "Gee, I must've struck a nerve, @AprilDRyan! #BankruptBlogger."
Patton quickly deleted the tweet and issued an apology.
"No one from this Administration contacted me. It was beneath me & I apologize to @AprilDRyan," Patton wrote. "My parents raised me to respect others & I regret my response. I apologize to them, @SecretaryCarson & the Trump family. They deserved better."
Here’s the tweet US government employee, @LynnePatton, posted fat-shaming @AprilDRyan and has since deleted. Good try, girl. We all saw it. pic.twitter.com/EHaJCXhp9i
— Ana Navarro-Cárdenas (@ananavarro) January 25, 2018
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But the people of Twitter had already seen Patton’s “Miss Piggy” tweet, and they wasted no time in firing back.
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This is disgusting on so many levels. Will someone at HUD explain?
— Andrea Mitchell (@mitchellreports) January 25, 2018
You had no housing experience and you landed into your job because you are a complete Trump cronie and hack. For you to question anyone’s credentials is pretty freaking amazing.
— Erick Fernandez (@ErickFernandez) January 25, 2018
Lynne Patton’s disrespect towards April Ryan by calling her Miss Piggy is so wrong and unacceptable. But can we talk about the fact that Trump hired his former wedding planner as a HUD top official?
— Queen of Starch (@SucurzalDeCielo) January 25, 2018
April Ryan’s discarded toenail clippings have more class and intelligence than you will ever dream of possessing, Lynne.
— xannie the nanny (@AnnieMcCarren) January 25, 2018
https://twitter.com/udfredirect/status/956373617142530050
Some even called for Patton to resign.
So @LynnePatton, the unqualified Trump family wedding planner who Trump recklessly put in charge of federal housing for *all of New York & New Jersey*, called White House reporter @AprilDRyan “Miss Piggy” yesterday. Indefensible. She already wasn’t qualified. She should resign. pic.twitter.com/U8NCdyyT7e
— Brian Klaas (@brianklaas) January 25, 2018
April Ryan has had to to endure death threats, fat shaming, racism, and disrespect from this White House administration..
Lynne Patton should be fired TONIGHT!!#FireLynnePatton pic.twitter.com/DLVv2BVvfD
— I Paid Them All In Dust (@battletested5) January 25, 2018
.@LynnePatton @LynnePattonHUD HUD is a critical federal agency with an important mission. Your Tweets demonstrate a lack of suitability for such work. @realDonaldTrump is to blame for naming someone so unqualified to the post. But, with respect, show some dignity and resign.
— Rev. Dr. Chuck Currie (@RevChuckCurrie) January 25, 2018
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Patton became the New York and New Jersey regional head of HUD in June 2017 after Trump appointed her to the department earlier that year. She has no prior housing experience. Ryan has covered the Washington Bureau Chief for American Urban Radio Networks since 1997.
Patton’s fat-shaming tweet about Ryan is unacceptable behavior for a government employee. There are times when it’s necessary to criticize other women, but those criticisms should never include a woman’s weight. The “Miss Piggy” tweet contributed to a sexist culture of policing successful women based on their appearances, and we hope Patton has learned the error of her ways.
