Trumps continued degradation of Women

[Jitendra Hydonus]

Maria Shriver and President Donald Trump
Credit: Gabe Ginsberg/Getty; Patrick van Katwijk/Getty
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Maria Shriver criticized President Donald Trump for targeting female journalists with insults during interviews and public appearances

Trump recently called Meet the Press host Kristen Welker "crooked" and insulted CNN's Kaitlan Collins during a press exchange

Shriver urged others to denounce Trump's behavior, calling it "unacceptable and undignified" and likening it to childish outbursts

Maria Shriver is speaking out against President Donald Trump 's verbal attacks on female journalists.

The journalist and activist, 70, took to X on Monday, June 8, to share her thoughts on Trump's recent public outbursts against women of the White House press corps. His most recent run-in aired on Sunday, June 7, in which he stormed out of a Meet the Press interview after calling host Kristen Welker , 49, "crooked": "You're either crooked or you're stupid," he said.

Shriver didn't hold back when sharing her thoughts on the incident. The niece of the late President John F. Kennedy wrote that she had been "thinking a lot" about it.

"It feels like he saves his most childlike behavior and irrational language for female reporters, calling them all kinds of names that kids in kindergarten are given times out for," she said. "I've never witnessed someone like this raging."


In response to Shriver's comments, White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson told PEOPLE that Trump has "never been politically correct."

"In large part, the American people re-elected him for his transparency," Jackson said in a statement. "This has nothing to do with gender — it has everything to do with the fact that the President's and the public's trust in the media is at all time lows."

Trump also came under fire last week for his tirade against CNN White House correspondent Kaitlan Collins , who pressed Trump about his controversial $1.8 billion "anti-weaponization fund," prompting the president to launch an attack on both CNN and Collins herself .

"A corrupt reporter standing right there, never smiles," he said, referring to 34-year-old Collins. "You never see a young, beautiful woman who never smiles. I never see a smile on her face. I see her standing there with hatred in her eyes."

President Donald Trump and Kaitlan Collins at a CNN town hall during the 2024 presidential primariesCredit: John Nowak/CNN
President Donald Trump and Kaitlan Collins at a CNN town hall during the 2024 presidential primaries
Credit: John Nowak/CNN
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Trump faced some of his strongest backlash in November 2025 after calling Bloomberg News White House correspondent Catherine Lucey "piggy," which Shriver also mentioned in her post.

"Every good man should denounce this behavior. Every person should be able to stand up for their colleagues and say 'No more,' " she wrote.

"Imagine this man screaming like this at your daughter, your wife, your sister, your mother," she continued. "Would you stand for it? No, you wouldn't! And neither should any of us. It's unacceptable and undignified. Period. End of story."

Shriver has been vocal about her distaste for Trump's actions, including his attempt to add his name to the Kennedy Center, which was dedicated by Congress as a living memorial to her late uncle. A federal judge ordered the removal of Trump's name from the landmark on May 29, on what would have been JFK's 109th birthday,

"An appropriate birthday present on my uncle's birthday today," Shriver, the daughter of JFK's younger sister, Eunice Kennedy Shriver , wrote.

"I know they'll probably appeal and the story isn't over," she added, "but for today let's celebrate a great birthday gift."

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