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Karoline Leavitt’s Chilling Remark on 'Killings' Triggers Outrage

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt faces criticism after suggesting Iranian leaders were killed for misleading the U.S. in negotiations.

By Muskan Jaiswal
The White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt is facing severe backlash after she made strong remarks on U.S. foreign policy, stating, “If we don’t like the way you negotiate, we’ll kill you.” On Monday, during a presser at the White House, Leavitt made the comments as the questions piled over U.S. talks with Iran during the ongoing conflict, Operation Epic Fury. She was asked about how the administration could trust the current Iranian spokesperson after the assassination of the Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and other senior officers in the earlier strikes. Journalist Dasha Burns brought up other concerns during the briefing, like who now looks after the authority in Tehran. To this, Leavitt replied that verification was ongoing between the current and past Iranian leaders. However, according to the International Business Times, she quickly drew criticism over her comments. In her statement, she said, “When the president says more reasonable, again, these folks are appearing more reasonable behind the scenes privately in these conversations, than perhaps some of the previous leaders, who are now no longer on planet Earth because they lied to the United States.” She further made a stronger claim, saying, “They strung us along in negotiations, and that was unacceptable to the president, which is why many of the previous leaders were killed.” Karoline Leavitt also mentioned that the earlier leaders “faced” the consequences of the United States military. However, as the clip went viral on X, many saw a change in her tone. It showed that the administration, which earlier, framed the killings as military actions tied to the war, and not as a punishment to diplomacy. Critics mentioned that her statements show contrast and send a bold message on how the U.S. views negotiations. One user on X wrote, “Trump's crew IQ much lower than his... Also, they're all freaks.” Meanwhile, another wrote, “Diplomacy without immunity doesn’t work.” Operation Epic Fury commenced on February 28 and killed several senior Iranian political officials within hours. Hence, the diplomatic setting remains confusing. Donald Trump has previously said he is in touch with Iranian Parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, but Iran has denied that no such talks are in the process. With reference to the situation, Marco Rubio, Secretary of State, has also said that there are “fractures” within Iran’s leadership, leading to questions about who will negotiate on behalf of the Islamic Republic. Karoline Leavitt, who is all set to become a mother for the second time, also addressed the uncertainty. She said, “If there's ever a chance for a deal, again, the president is open to listening, but it does not deter him from focusing on the military objectives that he set out 30 days ago.” Undoubtedly, her remarks have sparked questions about the U.S. foreign policies, with analysts warning that linking military action to negotiations could deepen the ongoing tensions.

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