Karoline Leavitt has been making headlines since becoming the youngest White House Press Secretary in January 2025. Not only did she earn an endorsement from President Trump himself, but fans have been liking her too for her bold persona in the press briefings and her way of handling the reporters. Now, this time, she is in the headlines again for a very similar reason. Why?
She went on the offensive Tuesday and confronted reporters during a fiery press briefing. In back-to-back heated exchanges, she smacked down an Associated Press journalist questioning Trump’s tariff policies and even called out a reporter for “making a face” during her remarks.
What exactly happened at the briefing room? So this is how it went. During the briefing, Leavitt, known for her combative style, took an unexpected turn when she directly addressed an unnamed journalist in the crowd. “To the woman in the purple, because I saw you were making a face at my previous answer,” Leavitt said. As it drew immediate laughter in the room, the reporter replied, ““Oh, did I?”
The reporter then proceeded to ask about the Trump administration’s stance on pro-Palestinian protests and noted that at their core, these demonstrations push for an end to the war in Gaza—something Trump himself has pursued.
Leavitt was quick to dismiss the premise though. “Because these colleges and these protests have put out Hamas propaganda,” she said, citing the case of detained Columbia University student Mahmoud Khalil, whom the administration has linked to terrorist activity. There was no room for the reporter to ask the next questions as she was swift to move to an other reporter.
WATCH: @PressSec Karoline Leavitt’s full opening remarks at today’s press briefing pic.twitter.com/pICRsV5HNC
— Jordan Conradson🇺🇸 (@ConradsonJordan) March 11, 2025
This wasn’t the only tense moment from the press meet. In another fiery interaction, Associated Press reporter Josh Boak pressed Leavitt about Trump’s latest economic policies, particularly his escalating tariff war. He questioned, why the president was prioritizing tariffs over tax cuts. “Not true—he’s not doing that,” Leavitt interrupted to defend Trump’s approach.
“Tariffs are a tax hike on foreign countries that, again, have been ripping us off. Tariffs are a tax cut for the American people, and the President is a staunch advocate of tax cuts,” she said. Boak, pushing back, asked, “I’m sorry. Have you ever paid a tariff? Because I have. They don’t get charged on foreign companies. They get charged on the importers.”
🚨 BREAKING: Karoline Leavitt slams the Associated Propaganda Reporter. 🔥
“I think it’s insulting that you’re trying to test my knowledge of economics and decisions of the President. I now regret giving a question to the Associated Press.” pic.twitter.com/xcb6IS3J3f
— DogeDesigner (@cb_doge) March 11, 2025
Karoline didn’t stop either. She fired back and said, “I think it’s insulting that you’re trying to test my knowledge of economics and the decisions that this President has made. I now regret giving a question to the Associated Press.”
The drama continued outside the press room as well. After the exchange, Leavitt’s deputy, Harrison Fields, took to X to add a little bit of more fuel to the fire. He posted, “@joshboak = activist NOT journalist.”
