June 14, 2025
Press Secretary Leavitt's sharp exchange with White House reporter goes viral
Viral video shows sharp response to reporter drawing press treatment criticism
🤝Civic Action🏛️Government📰Media Literacy
Karoline Leavitt, 27, became the youngest White House press secretary in U.S. history when she gave her first briefing on January 28, 2025, breaking Ronald Ziegler's record (age 29 in 1969)
On May 5, 2025, Leavitt told a reporter asking about balancing motherhood and work: "My son is none of your business. Shame on you for trying to score cheap points," sparking over 1 million views on social media
In January 2026, Leavitt called The Hill's Niall Stanage a "left-wing hack" and "biased reporter" after he cited 32 ICE custody deaths, 170 wrongfully detained U.S. citizens, and the shooting death of Renee Good by an ICE agent
On March 11, 2025, Leavitt told Associated Press reporter Josh Boak "I think it's insulting that you are trying to test my knowledge of economics" and "I now regret giving a question to the Associated Press" during a tense exchange over Trump's tariffs
On June 11, 2025, Leavitt responded to NOTUS reporter Jasmine Wright's question about peaceful protests by saying "What a stupid question," then treated New York Times reporter David Sanger more respectfully on a similar follow-up
Leavitt dismissed The Independent's Andrew Feinberg's question about Trump joking about canceling elections by saying "Andrew, were you in the room? No you weren't. I was in the room," refusing to directly address the democratic implications
The Trump White House announced in March 2025 it would take control of the briefing room seating chart from the White House Correspondents Association, with Leavitt stating new media voices would get priority access
The U.S. Press Freedom Tracker documented Leavitt's pattern of targeting media, including defending the February 2025 ban of Associated Press reporters from White House events over refusing to call the Gulf of Mexico the "Gulf of America"
White House Communications Director 
Steven Cheung, known for his combative style mirroring Trump's approach to media, works alongside Leavitt to implement the administration's confrontational press strategy
🤝Civic Action🏛️Government📰Media Literacy
Test Your Knowledge
10
Q1
What did White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt call a reporter's question about peaceful protests?
Q2
Which news organization did reporter Jasmine Wright work for when Leavitt insulted her?
Q3
Leavitt is the youngest person ever to serve as White House Press Secretary.
Q4
Calling a reporter's legitimate question "stupid" violates traditional norms of professional press relations.
Q5
When Wright asked about {{blank_1}} protests, Leavitt responded "Of course the president supports peaceful protest. What a {{blank_2}} question."
5 more questions available
Upgrade to Premium to access all practice questions and unlock advanced quiz features.
Upgrade to PremiumThese questions are part of the Press Secretary Leavitt's sharp exchange with White House reporter goes viral topic. Master this topic by completing the quiz or exploring each question in detail.
Ready to test your knowledge?
Take the full quiz to master this topic and track your progress.
Start QuizPeople, bills, and sources
Karoline Leavitt
White House Press Secretary (youngest in U.S. history at age 27)
Niall Stanage
White House columnist for The Hill (Irish-American journalist)
Jasmine Wright
NOTUS White House correspondent
Josh Boak
Associated Press economics reporter
Andrew Feinberg
The Independent White House correspondent
Steven Cheung
White House Communications Director
David Sanger
New York Times national security correspondent
White House Correspondents Association (WHCA)
Professional organization representing White House press corps