Karoline Leavitt is known for her witty comebacks and her front-foot-forward approach when answering questions. She has risen to prominence in the Trump Administration over the last year. She remains one of the most recognizable faces in the administration, right behind the president, of course. However, one interaction while discussing energy statistics has led some to question her authenticity.
While presenting a statistic on Energy, Karoline Leavitt saw fit to crack a joke that might have just undermined her credibility on the matter. She briefed the press on topics including the President’s plan for Black History Month, the relations with Russia, and the ongoing immigration crackdown under Trump.
One of the things that she talked about was Energy, for which she presented a statistic. She said, “I just have a quick statistic here on energy that I found fascinating. And it’s obviously true because I’m saying it up here.”
Leavitt: “I just have a quick statistic that I found fascinating and it’s obviously true because I’m saying it up here” pic.twitter.com/3uElXhKeWd
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) February 18, 2026
The phrasing of this seemed very off. Karoline Leavitt has been accused of dodging questions and even outright lying multiple times. The awkward phrasing in the situation felt almost satirical, and has become the source of quite some ridicule online.
Multiple users have resorted to calling her a liar. There are some who have even pointed out that the claims that she is making in the briefing do not add up with the live experiences of the people.
She has been accused of disseminating inaccurate information before. Recently, she made claims about Greenland and some of Trump’s tariffs, which were called into question.
The briefing ran parallel to a partial government shutdown that is still in place. Unlike the shutdown in October, this one has not brought the administration to a standstill.
.@POTUS on the partial government shutdown: “I spoke with @SpeakerJohnson, I spoke with @LeaderJohnThune, and I think they’re pretty close to a resolution. We were at 5.6% GDP, and we lost a point and a half because of the 43-day shutdown… it’s very bad for our country.” pic.twitter.com/DhaARyHbZK
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) February 2, 2026
The funding for the Department of Homeland Security is currently paused. Democrats are not budging on changes that need to be made in immigration law enforcement. This has gathered more steam after the fatal shooting of two American citizens by CBP and ICE.
The day following the briefing is likely going to see Trump convene the first meeting of his Board of Peace. This is going to be an international committee that is going to strategise and fund the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip. One of the key figures who was invited to join the Board was Pope Leo XIV. The Vatican has since issued a notification that he will not be a part of the committee, which looks to govern Gaza temporarily.
