White House press briefings are usually exercises in endurance and practiced pivots for 28-year-old press secretary, Karoline Leavitt. But Thursday’s briefing did a lot more than just go off script, trust us!
Karoline Leavitt was sparred in a tense exchange with CNN’s Kaitlan Collins over what President Donald Trump has been saying about the economy. It began as a straightforward question about affordability. Yet, soon there were raised voices, and a viral moment that critics have now branded another example of truth being optional more prominently since January 2025.
Collins cut to the chase, asking Karoline Leavitt if the economy is booming, why is the president telling parents (with Christmas just two weeks away) to buy fewer toys?
Now, coming to this comment, Donald Trump made the remark earlier at a Pennsylvania rally. He urged Americans to scale back on everyday items like pencils and dolls while his economic policies were working. The crowd laughed, but online, the clip went viral for good reason. Leavitt tried her best to reframe it as an argument for domestic manufacturing. She said the president was really talking about supporting American-made products even if that meant paying a dollar or two more.
BREAKING: Karoline Leavitt melts down after Kaitlin Collins pushed back on her narrative on the economy, ranting that they don’t want to report on it because you “want to push untrue narratives about the President.”
Lie enough, folks won’t believe you.pic.twitter.com/wBWdAtpSvI
— Really American 🇺🇸 (@ReallyAmerican1) December 11, 2025
But of course, Collins wasn’t buying it. She pressed on grocery prices and “mixed signals in terms of what that looks like.” At that point, Leavitt insisted “every economic metric” improved. She cited inflation slowing to 2.5%, rising wages, and lower gas prices, while accusing the press of ignoring similar issues under Joe Biden. That’s when this exchange went off the rails.
Collins then interjected with a fact-check that Leavitt spoke over. At one point, Leavitt accused Collins of “[pushing] untrue narratives.” When Collins tried to ask a follow-up (on a different topic), Leavitt just shut her down.
Karoline Leavitt, per the Atlanta Black Star, said:
“I am not taking your follow-up.”
Meanwhile, the numbers don’t cooperate. Inflation stood at almost the same level when Trump took office. So no, it hasn’t dramatically declined under him. That disconnect with the data became the core of the criticism.
Threads users accused Leavitt of gaslighting and trivializing Trump’s campaign promise to lower prices. Some comments attacked her credibility, too, as the nickname “fabrication Barbie” began circulating alongside the video.
Conservative media has been telling us a different story, though. Fox News said Karoline Leavitt was standing her ground against a hostile press and Collins’s selective scrutiny. They said Trump has been helping the country improve from a Biden-era economic “hole.” But affordability is still voters’ top concern in the midterms, even as the president insists prices are down.
Anyway, polls show that most Americans still feel squeezed.
NEXT UP: Trump’s Bandaged Hand Raises Alarm as Karoline Leavitt Pushes ‘Pathetic’ Explanation No One Buys
