White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt is under fire for her recent comments about how Donald Trump uses Truth Social. The controversy began after Leavitt previously defended the President’s racist Truth Social post about the Obamas.
During a press briefing on Wednesday, February 18, 2026, Leavitt insisted that everything Trump posts on Truth Social comes directly from him. She described the platform as a way for people to hear “straight from the horse’s mouth.”
Leavitt made the remarks after being asked about the President’s post on Truth Social, in which he called a new United Kingdom deal over Diego Garcia, a “big mistake.”
As the post contradicted his earlier praise of Keir Starmer, whom he said secured the “best” possible 99-year lease deal, Leavitt was asked about her opinion.
In response, the Press Secretary said Trump’s latest Truth Social message “should be taken as the policy of the Trump administration.” She further added that “when you see it on Truth Social, you know it’s directly from President Trump. That’s the beauty of this president and his transparency.”
Q: The president just said on Truth Social it would be a ‘big mistake’ for the UK to hold over control of Diego Garcia, but the State Dept said earlier this week the US does support that handover. So does this post suggest the US position has changed?
LEAVITT: The post should be… pic.twitter.com/kJzlI4TSVs
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) February 18, 2026
This particular comment immediately gained attention from critics as it seemed to contradict earlier claims about Trump’s Truth Social usage from the White House.
In the past, when Leavitt was asked about the racist video involving former President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle, she stated that a staff member had posted the clip without Trump’s knowledge.
So now, when Karoline Leavitt confirmed that everything on Truth Social comes “directly from President Trump,” it prompted California Governor Gavin Newsom and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer to highlight the contradiction.
Taking to X, Schumer asserted that Leavitt’s comments now suggest that the 79-year-old himself posted the controversial video about the Obamas.
Even Newsom’s press office chimed in, mocking the situation and suggesting how Trump is responsible for his posts, “unless it’s racist. Then suddenly a staffer grabbed his phone.”
Even journalist Mehdi Hasan weighed in highlighting how Leavitt’s comments now prove that the offensive video came directly from the President.
“You know it’s directly from President Trump”
So the Obamas as apes? Directly from President Trump. She said it. https://t.co/UqzC97ZhcJ
— Mehdi Hasan (@mehdirhasan) February 18, 2026
The controversy began on February 6, when 66 posts appeared on Donald Trump’s Truth Social account, within a two-hour window. One of those posts included an AI-generated video about voter fraud claims.
However, the clip ended on a rather racist note, showing the Obamas as apes. This immediately caused strong backlash across the political spectrum, leading the President to personally address the situation.
“I looked at it, I saw it, I just looked at the first part. Nobody knew that that was in the end,” he said. “If they would have looked, they would have seen it, and probably they would have had the sense to take it down,” Trump concluded.
Despite the offensive post the President refused to apologise and only added fuel to the political fire. And now, Karoline Leavitt’s comment, raises new questions about Trump’s posts and accountability.
