On Tuesday, Donald Trump jokingly blamed his own press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, for the wave of negative media coverage. The president had just signed an executive order calling for a national voter list. But soon he moved on to the media.
“I got 93% bad publicity — some people say 97,” Trump said.
Leavitt was standing nearby, so Trump turned to her and said, “Maybe Karoline’s doing a poor job? I don’t know… you’re doing a terrible job. Should we keep her? I think we’ll keep her.” For critics, this line drew attention for Trump’s fixation on media optics and how willing he seems to be to make even his most loyal aides part of the punchline in such scenarios.
Q: As Trump’s popularity rises around the world, do you think we might be watching the emergence of a global MAGA movement?
LEAVITT: I sure hope so pic.twitter.com/aihbayxMO1
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) February 18, 2026
Leavitt was just 27 when she first stepped into the role and became the youngest White House press secretary in U.S. history. Since then, her rise has been tied to Trump’s political orbit. She had also been a former campaign spokeswoman and White House staffer during his first administration. Leavitt has a reputation for being combative, which makes supporters see her as sharp, but critics argue she mirrors Trump’s tendency to blur facts and rhetoric. Either way, she’s central to the administration’s media strategy.
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Still, Trump has a history of blurring the line between humor and criticism. For years, he has labeled major outlets as “fake” or “dishonest,” as he believes that their coverage of his presidency doesn’t reflect what he sees as his achievements.
At the same time, Trump called it “very bad” and “sad” that Americans have lost trust in the media.
Harry Enten, new lows on Trump’s approval ratings.
AP, -26 points. NBC, -22. Yahoo/YouGov, -20 points, Quinnipiac -19 points.
5 points below his first-term score. -9 points compared to Joe Biden. pic.twitter.com/RQ4jFkxFpq
— Blue Georgia (@BlueGeorgia) February 16, 2026
It is also true that Trump’s approval ratings have dipped further in recent weeks, with at least one poll cited by The Hill that placed him at 33%. The tensions tied to foreign policy decisions involving Iran, along with a partial government shutdown that has left federal workers unpaid, have only added to the pressure on the administration.
Despite all this, Trump quickly said, “I think we’ll keep [Leavitt].”
NEXT UP: Trump Says ‘No Reason’ to Continue Iran War, Reveals Exit Timeline
