All posts tagged "karoline leavitt"

WNBA star becoming Trump admin's new 'common sense' role model after recent claims

The Trump administration is using WNBA star Sophie Cunningham's statement that transgender athletes should not play in women's sports to boost their own policy agenda, the Washington Post reported on Thursday.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed to reporters during a press briefing that President Donald Trump was "following" the coverage around the Indiana Fever player's comments from an ESPN interview this week, according to The Post.

Trump has made his stance on the issue clear and "moved swiftly last year to roll back transgender policies implemented by the Biden administration, including issuing an executive order that aimed to ban transgender athletes from competing on girls’ and women’s sports teams," The Post reported.

“We want to protect women and girls,” Leavitt said during the White House press conference Thursday. She added that Cunningham's remarks were "speaking the 'truth' about transgender female athletes," according to The Post.

"And the backlash she is receiving from Democrats and left-wing figures across the country is astonishing," Leavitt added.

Cunningham's interview has drawn backlash from other WNBA players. She has stood by her statements.

"I want to protect young girls in a locker room, or young girls in sport who shouldn’t have to go against biological men," Cunningham told ESPN.

Republican lawmakers and tennis legend Martina Navratilova have sided with Cunningham.

The Department of Education shared a photo of Cunningham wearing a crown, captioned with a message declaring that common sense prevails.

Common sense prevails 👑 https://t.co/hJJhKZ0CcB pic.twitter.com/4WPOgHfttM
— U.S. Department of Education (@usedgov) July 22, 2026

Karoline Leavitt ignites internet firestorm over Trump deal: 'It puts Saudi Arabia first'

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt ignited an internet firestorm Thursday after commenting that the new Saudi nuclear deal would put America First.

During a White House press conference, a reporter pressed her to explain why this negotiation was underway.

"Why does Saudi Arabia get a civilian nuclear deal but Iran doesn’t get a civilian nuclear deal?" the reporter asked.

"This agreement in particular, as it's been discussed thus far, does give priority access for American companies and the Saudi nuclear energy program, which will ultimately benefit American industry workers and supply chain," Leavitt said. "So, the deal that has been discussed thus far and will continue to be discussed absolutely puts America first, and that's obviously very important to this president."

Political experts and commentators weighed in on Leavitt's remarks.

"Remind me again, where 15th (sic) of the 19 9/11 hijackers were from? Remind me again of which government was known and found to have been associated with the 9/11 attacks? Oh! That’s right, Saudi Arabia. But yep it’s about ‘Murica 1st!" Democratic strategist Corbin Trent, former communications director for Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) and former Sen. Bernie Sanders (D-VT) team member who now runs the Super PAC A Fight Worth Having, wrote on X.

"15 of the 19 9/11 terrorists were from Saudi Arabia? As was the mastermind, Osama bin Laden," Sarah Larchmont, progressive political commentator, wrote on X.

"Saudi Arabia flew planes into American buildings on 9/11 and chopped up a journalist they didn’t like," wrote Jim Stewartson, writer and political commentator, in a post on X. Stewartson was referring to the murder of Washington Post contributor Jamal Khashoggi, who was targeted by a hit squad with ties to the highest levels of Saudi Arabia's government.

"A $1B Trump complex is not putting America first. Anything that prioritizes a Trump or billionaire pocket over the security and wellbeing of the American people is not America first," political scientist Natascha Dea Burdeinei wrote on X.

"Actually, it puts Saudi Arabia first and the Trump family benefits," X account PNW Area Man, who frequently comments on politics, wrote on X.

Remind me again, where 15th of the 19 9/11 hijackers were from? Remind me again of which government was known and found to have been associated with the 9/11 attacks? Oh! That’s right Saudi Arabia. But yep it’s about ‘Murica 1st! https://t.co/GwGSDXRgBR
— Corbin Trent (@corbintrent) July 23, 2026

'We've heard that before': Karoline Leavitt's words thrown back in her face on CNN

A CNN anchor threw the election security comments of Trump press secretary Karoline Leavitt back in her face.

On Thursday, Kasie Hunt spoke about President Donald Trump's upcoming speech on election security. The Trump administration has kept details under wraps, saying only that new evidence of election meddling will be presented.

Leavitt told reporters, however, that the speech "will shock you if you have an honest eye, listening to the president tonight, and everything he is saying will be backed by facts and by evidence that will be provided this evening."

Hunt looked back at what Leavitt had said, summarizing it as, "Everything will be backed by facts, and he will provide evidence," and cast doubt on what Leavitt was promising.

"That's the claim," Hunt said. "But I think we've heard that one before."

Hunt then played a clip of Trump from the September 2024 presidential election debate, in which he discussed his 2020 election loss.

"It was said we lost by a whisker," Trump said. "That was said sarcastically. Look, there's so much proof. All you have to do is look at it. If you look at the facts, and I'd love to have you, you'll do a special on it," Trump said to one of the debate moderators, David Muir.

"I'll show you Georgia, and I'll show you Wisconsin, and I'll show you Pennsylvania," Trump said. "We have so many facts and statistics."

After highlighting how Leavitt's comments echoed Trump's from a couple of years ago, Hunt showed a clip of Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) saying he was upset Trump's speech would be "focusing on the bullsh— he's peddling about 2020."

Karoline Leavitt browbeaten by reporter after dodging tough Trump question

A veteran reporter took White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt to task on Thursday with a pointed question about the upcoming midterm elections and President Donald Trump.

Ed O'Keefe, CBS senior White House and political correspondent, asked Leavitt to comment during a press conference hours before Trump was slated to give a national address. His primetime speech was expected to focus on elections, and Leavitt teased what he might discuss.

"Will the president accept the results of November's elections?" O'Keefe asked.

Leavitt responded, not directly answering the question.

"Look, Ed, you should tune in to the president's speech tonight before you jump ahead to conclusions about what's actually in the speech," she said. "Again, I've seen a lot of reporting and misreporting about what the president will say."

O'Keefe pushed back.

"But will he accept the results?" He asked again.

O'KEEFE: Will the president accept the results of November's elections?

LEAVITT: Look Ed, you should tune in to the president's speech tonight

O'KEEFE: But will he accept the results? pic.twitter.com/MUuLGD2kfG
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) July 16, 2026

Karoline Leavitt unleashes defensive rant after 'laziness' comment sparks fury

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt took to social media to defend a controversial interview she gave to Fox News that spurred an immediate backlash.

Leavitt, 28, blamed "bad faith actors" she said took her comments on Jesse Watters Primetime on Thursday "out of context" when they reported she accused fellow members of her generation of "laziness."

"This interview was about the rise of communism on the Left, and I was asked by Jesse Watters why so many young people are buying the false promise of 'free stuff' being sold by communist politicians," Leavitt wrote on X.

"My answer: a combination of laziness, yes, and the liberal indoctrination that has been taking place in our education system for far too long."

On Thursday, Watters slammed Gen Z supporters of Democratic Socialists such as Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, arguing they wanted an end to inflation because they were too lazy to get "real jobs," the Daily Beast reported.

When Watters accused Gen Z of complaining too much, Leavitt was quick to pile on criticism.

"I hate to say it, Gen Z and those younger than me have been raised with just silver spoons in their mouths, just getting everything handed to them," she reportedly told Watters. "That's not the values this country was built on... It was built on meritocracy."

As the Daily Beast pointed out, "Experts have long noted that the viability of the American Dream has waned since the end of World War II, with some researchers saying that each successive generation has fared worse than the last."

It's also worth noting Leavitt represents a man who reportedly received $413 million from his real estate developer father and herself married a real estate developer 32 years her senior worth a reported $6 million.

Leavitt apparently took umbrage with any criticism of her commentary as she felt obligated to share video of the interview along with a 400-word screed.

But Leavitt didn't back down from her claim that her generation was misguided.

"There are far-left educators pumping students’ heads with garbage, convincing them that hard work and sacrifice won’t pay off down the road because they want them totally reliant on the government instead," she wrote. "I care enough about our country to tell uncomfortable truths."

She did throw them some praise.

"At the same time, it’s also true that many Gen Z Americans are hardworking, entrepreneurial, and deeply patriotic, and it’s vital we protect the American Dream for them," wrote Leavitt. "I will continue to call out the radical Democrats, socialists, and communists who are lying to our youth."

Karoline Leavitt scorched by onlookers over 'mystery' Reflecting Pool claim

The White House is getting a harsh response from numerous observers to its latest claim about the Reflecting Pool.

When White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt declared on X that the press had lost its mind over the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, she likely expected applause rather than a fact-check. Sharing a post that ridiculed the coverage, she wrote, "So true, and so sad. The liberal media is truly deranged." The line fit neatly into a broader MAGA effort to recast the pool's very public failure as a symptom of "Trump Derangement Syndrome." It did not land that way.

The most pointed rebuttal came a day earlier from author and columnist John A. Daly, whose post was amplified by former Republican Rep. Adam Kinzinger. Daly argued that conservatives had manufactured the entire spectacle before turning around to whine about it, writing that "as with the Epstein Files, MAGA made a huge media-story out of the Reflecting Pool, only to turn around and complain about how much media attention it's received after blowing up in their faces."

That observation cuts to the heart of why Leavitt's complaint rang hollow. The pool became a national story because the president personally made it one. Trump ordered the renovation that ballooned past $14 million, had the basin painted "American flag blue" for the country's 250th anniversary, and promoted it relentlessly. When the water bloomed green and the fresh surface began peeling away in sheets, he escalated rather than retreated, blaming "radical left lunatics," accusing an ABC News reporter of fueling the story, and claiming that "multiple individuals" faced "years in jail" for vandalism.

Political scientist Ian Bremmer conceded the coverage was excessive but pinned the blame squarely on the president, noting that the saturation existed "in part because president trump spent too much time on it when he should have been talking about more important issues."

Conservative Trump critics Tom Nichols piled on by circulating a chart that mocked the president's exaggerated claims about the reflecting pool's size."

"Yes it’s a mystery," Nichols wrote in response with the chart. Conservative lawyer George Conway added, "You're kind of right: Instead of talking about how your boss turned the reflecting pool into the world's largest Petri dish, we should talking how he signed an instrument of surrender to Iran at Versailles. Of course, the only reason why we're talking about the reflecting pool is because he was bragging about how he was fixing it."

Kinzinger also chimed in, "You guys made this a story. Brag about how awesome it is and a week later pretend you never cared anyway."

Leavitt wanted the public to believe the media had conjured this controversy out of nothing. But people pointed out that her own administration spent two weeks building it, brick by brick, and the people she blamed simply reported what the White House kept handing them.

You guys made this a story. Brag about how awesome it is and a week later pretend you never cared anyway https://t.co/64jnihbWFo pic.twitter.com/rnqjgPLU6n
— Adam Kinzinger (Slava Ukraini) 🇺🇸🇺🇦 (@AdamKinzinger) June 20, 2026

Todd Blanche may have torpedoed his own AG nomination with Epstein stunt: analysis

A damning New York Times report released on Wednesday raised new concerns about Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche and his involvement with the Epstein files.

Blanche has come under fire over his role in "attempting to kill off the Epstein firestorm," just days after President Donald Trump formally nominated his former personal lawyer for permanent attorney general, The Daily Beast reported. Now, doubts were raised over whether he could be the top leader of the Justice Department ahead of his Senate confirmation hearing — and whether he could maintain his independence.

"Opponents argue he is not fit for the job, pointing to his handling of the Epstein files, which identified numerous victims but kept the names of potential co-conspirators hidden, as well as other controversies, such as Trump’s $1.8 billion 'anti-weaponization' slush fund and the backroom deal giving the president immunity from continuing IRS audits," The Beast reported.

The bombshell reporting from Times reporters Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan is part of an upcoming book and includes multiple revelations about what happened within the Trump administration and includes Blanche's involvement as the then-deputy attorney general under former Attorney General Pam Bondi.

"Blanche and other Trump aides—including Vice President JD Vance, White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, Communications Director Steven Cheung and Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt—held a panicked meeting in the Situation Room in July last year, desperate to quell the MAGA civil war that had erupted over the administration’s failure to release the Epstein files," according to The Beast.

In the meeting, Blanche reportedly offered two potential options.

"The first was to petition Federal District Courts in Florida and New York to unseal grand jury testimonies related to Jeffrey Epstein’s heinous sex trafficking crimes, as these were unlikely to contain any new information, and therefore, releasing them was unlikely to damage Trump," The Beast reported.

Blanche likely knew that getting a federal judge to unseal grand jury material would be a tough move, The Beast reported.

"The second option was to have a Justice Department official interview Epstein’s accomplice, Ghislaine Maxwell, and release the transcript," according to The Beast.

Blanche apparently volunteered to sit down with Maxwell. He has described her attorney, David Oscar Markus, as "a friend."

Trump hit with ill-timed staffing problems as MAGA moms follow his advice

President Donald Trump has a staffing problem as more MAGA moms are doing what he had requested them to do — have more babies, according to a Wednesday report from The Swamp, The Daily Beast's Substack.

The timing is difficult for the Trump administration, with key midterm races just six months away.

"Donald Trump’s plea to MAGA moms to bear more children is causing a crisis at the White House and Pentagon at a crucial time," The Swamp reported.

"Trump called himself the 'fertilization president' and urged a procreation push to uphold a long tradition of autocrats who seek to build a society in their own image. But the policy is backfiring, with key administration staffers taking maternity leave in the lead-up to the Republican Party’s make-or-break midterm elections," according to The Swamp.

Karoline Leavitt has stepped away for her maternity leave as she prepares to have a second child any day. Pentagon Press Secretary Kingsley Wilson has also started her maternity leave. These absences have prompted Secretary of State Marco Rubio — and other Trump cabinet members — to fill in for important press briefings, with Rubio taking fiery questions from a room full of shouting reporters on Tuesday, quipping, "This is chaos, guys."

Mockery buries Karoline Leavitt as she gushes over 'fearless' Trump at shooting

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt was roundly mocked on Monday after admiring President Donald Trump for bravery during the White House Correspondents' Dinner shooting.

Leavitt spoke to reporters during a press briefing, blaming Democrats and members of the media for what led to suspect Cole Allen allegedly shooting a Secret Service agent.

"The president's calm in the face of chaos while yet another individual was trying to take his life was really remarkable to witness, and it's something I will never forget. President Trump is fearless. He is willing to put his own life on the line," Leavitt said.

Social media users questioned her claims.

"Frankly, it looked more like he had no idea anything was going on until the Secret Service yanked him out of his chair," author Sherry Knowlton wrote on X.

"Trump stumbled and struggled getting up,' progressive political commentator Vince Wilson wrote on X.

"Fearless, eh? What does his military record look like?" College instructor and author Anthony M. Hopper wrote on X.

"Really he wasn't so calm when he was asked [about Epstein]," Tracey Gallagher, attorney and former Judge Pro Tem, wrote on X.

"She knows this sort of propaganda is not helping the discourse, right?" English teacher and former announcer Professor George Werner wrote on X.

Leavitt: "The president's calm in the face of chaos while yet another individual was trying to take his life was really remarkable to witness, and it's something I will never forget. President Trump is fearless. He is willing to put his own life on the line." pic.twitter.com/UjwWaAGa9f
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) April 27, 2026