Karoline Leavitt introduced herself to the world on Tuesday and immediately made waves – and perhaps some enemies.
The youngest-ever White House press secretary expertly channeled Donald Trump during the afternoon briefing – and clashed with several seasoned correspondents.
But the 27-year-old held her own during her debut, fielding questions for a full 47 minutes.
Within that span, she gave a full-throated rebuff of Joe Biden while defending her boss’s executive actions – putting her at odds with many members of the audience.
Among them was the newly minted White House Correspondent for CNN, Kaitlan Collins, and familiar faces like NBC’s Peter Alexander.
Also returning were Mary Bruce and Nancy Cordes, reporting for ABC News and and CBS News, respectively.
Even Fox News got in on the action, via its Senior White House Correspondent Jacqui Heinrich. But Leavitt battled them back, in a display that even CNN’s Brian Stelter conceded left him thinking that Leavitt ‘seems instantly well-suited to the task.’
It also provided a hint for what’s to come, and who might be her biggest threat in the future.
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Karoline Leavitt introduced herself to the world Tuesday, and immediately made a series of waves – and perhaps enemies
The youngest-ever White House press secretary expertly channeled Donald Trump during the afternoon briefing – and clashed with several seasoned correspondents
Kaitlan Collins (CNN)
An obvious answer to the question of who Leavitt’s foes may be is Collins, who is already following in the footsteps of former Chief White House Correspondent Jim Acosta.
Acosta resigned on Tuesday, days into Trump’s second term. He was moved from the position following the Republican’s first, where the two clashed repeatedly.
Four years and a president later, Collins, 32, looked ready to assume Acosta’s mantle.
It also served as a continuation of her own career, following a three-year stint as a Trump-era White House reporter with the Daily Caller and continued coverage with CNN that saw her barred after asking a series of questions about Vladimir Putin.
‘The administration fired several inspectors general without giving Congress the 30 day legally required notification that they were being fired,’ Collins asked this time around, accusing Trump of breaking the law with his recent wave of firings.
‘I think only two were left at DHS and the DOJ, and yesterday we saw several prosecutors were fired from the Justice Department, who worked on the investigations into the president,’ she continued, before dropping a proverbial bomb.
‘How is the administration deciding which laws to follow and which ones to ignore?’
An obvious answer would be newly minted Chief White House Correspondent for CNN, Kaitlan Collins, who is already following in the footsteps of the recently resigned Jim Acosta
Collins, thanks to connections garnered from her days as a reporter during Trump’s first term, was pegged for the position last year. She is seen here opposite the then candidate in 2023, during a now infamous CNN town hall
Collins spent three years as a Trump-era White House reporter with the Daily Caller, and two years doing the same for CNN
Leavitt, in response, stayed poised, saying, ‘it is the belief of the White House and the White House counsel’s office that the president was within his executive authority to do that.
‘He is the executive of the executive branch and therefore he has the power to fire anywhere within the executive branch that he wishes to,’ she explained further, citing a 2020 Supreme Court ruling that expanded the president’s ability to fire such staff.
‘I would advise you to look at that case, and that’s the legality that this White House has rested on,’ Leavitt concluded, keeping a calm demeanor whilst being grilled.
‘So you’re confident that if they bring lawsuits against you, the prosecutors who were fired, that you will succeed?’ Collins – who famously clashed with Trump during a 202 town hall – asked.
‘We will in court, yes,’ Leavitt replied.
‘Did he personally direct this, given they worked on the classified documents investigation and the election interference investigation?’ Collins persisted.
‘This was a memo that went out by the presidential office and the president is the leader of this White House – so yes,’ Leavitt said, putting their first back-and-forth to rest.
During Tuesday’s highly-anticipated briefing, Collins grilled Leavitt about President Trump’s firing of 17 inspector generals, leading to a back and forth where the latter appeared to hold her own
Peter Alexander (NBC News)
NBC News’ Alexander also surfaced as a journalist to look out for, confronting Leavitt about Trump’s mass deportation effort currently being carried out by Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE), while attempting to catch her boss in a lie.
Alexander, 48, confronted Karoline Leavitt during a White House press briefing Tuesday about Trump’s mass deportation effort, which has seen Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrest thousands of undocumented migrants.
Bringing up how Trump said they would ‘start with the criminals’, Alexander asked whether violent offenders would really be deported before other immigrants.
He proceeded to point out how ‘nearly half’ of the 1,179 migrants arrested on Sunday were found to ‘have no prior criminal record’, citing NBC’s own reports.
Leavitt responded by suggesting that all undocumented migrants would be targeted equally, while touting the effort as ‘the largest mass deportation operation in American history of illegal criminals’.
She further claimed that any foreign national who enters the US illegally is ‘by definition a criminal’ and ‘subject to deportation’ – seemingly leaving Alexander without a legal leg to stand on.
However, the Weekend Today host and Chief White House correspondent kept on with his line of questioning, interrupting Leavitt mid-explanation.
NBC News’ Alexander, the Chief White House Correspondent also surfaced as a journalist to look out for
‘I apologize for interrupting. So to be clear, violent criminals do not receive precedence in terms of the deportations taking place,’ he asked.
‘The president has also said two things can be true at the same time. We want to deport illegal criminals, illegal immigrants from this country,’ Leavitt amicably explained.
‘But the president has said that of course, the illegal criminal drug dealers, the rapists, the murderers, the individuals who have committed heinous acts on the interior of our country and who have terrorized law abiding American citizens, absolutely.
‘Those should be the priority of ICE. But that doesn’t mean that the other illegal criminals who entered our nation’s borders are off the table.’
‘Then let me ask you a separate question,’ Alexander replied, inquiring about what he worded as ‘the confusion that still exists across the country right now as it relates to [Trump’s order to pause all federal grants and loans]’.
‘President Trump, of course, ran, one of the key policy items was that he was going to lower prices, lower the cost of everything from groceries as he often said,’ Alexander stated.
‘But in many of the cases it would seem that some of these moves could raise prices for real Americans on everything from low-income heating, that program, childcare programs.
‘Will nothing that the president is doing here in terms of the freeze in these programs, raise prices on ordinary Americans?’
During the briefing, he attempted to confront Leavitt about Trump’s mass deportation effort currently being carried out by Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) – while also attempting to catch her boss in a lie. It didn’t work
Leavitt responded by asking for specifics, to which the reporter asked if the federal program LIHEAP was impacted.
The program helps with funding to reduce the costs associated with home energy bills.
‘So you’re asking a hypothetical-based question on programs that you can’t even identify?’ Leavitt shot back, leading Alexander to bring up Medicaid. ‘Is that affected?’ he asked.
‘I gave you a list of examples. Social Security, Medicare, welfare benefits, food stamps’ a visibly annoyed Leavitt said in reply, before she was interrupted again.
‘Medicaid?’ Alexander again asked.
‘That will not be impacted by this federal pause. I can get you the full list after this briefing from the office of management and budget.’
Mary Bruce (ABC News)
Another legacy media journalist to go after Leavitt Tuesday was ABC News’ Bruce, who found herself seated alongside both Collins and Alexander in the auditorium’s hallowed front row.
She too asked about Trump’s federal funding freeze, and what she framed as ‘confusion’ surrounding the subject.
This earned one of the sternest rebuffs from Leavitt of the day, showing the secretary’s ability to not mince words. On Wednesday, Trump rescinded the order anyway, following pushback from House Republicans
‘Some of the confusion I think may be here with this pause on federal funding – you’ve made it clear you’re not stopping funds that go directly to individuals,’ Bruce asked before the order was nixed, as many engaged in needless hysteria.
‘But there certainly are lots of organizations that receive funding and then may pass along a benefit,’ she pointed out. ‘Meals on Wheels for one – they provide meals for over 2.2 million seniors.’
‘What is the president’s message to Americans out there many of whom supported him and voted for him, who are concerned that this is going to impact them directly?’ the journalist who’s spent 18 years at ABC asked, growing increasingly animated.
‘Even if, as you said, the funding isn’t coming directly to their wallets.’
Visibly fed-up, Leavitt offered a response that appeared to put Bruce’s inquiries to bed.
Another legacy media journalist to go after Leavitt Tuesday was ABC News’ Mary Bruce, who found herself seated alongside the other in the auditorium’s front row. She too asked about Trump’s federal funding freeze, and what she framed as ‘confusion’ surrounding the subject
‘I have now been asked – and answered – this question four times,’ she began, setting out on a clear, concise explanation.
‘To individuals at home who receive direct assistance from the federal government, you will not be impacted by this federal freeze,’ she continued,
‘In fact [the United States Office of Management and Budget] just sent out a memo to Capitol Hill with Q&A to clarify some of the questions and the answers that all of you are are asking me right now.
‘Again direct assistance will not be impacted,’ she reiterated. ‘I’ve been asked – and answered – about this [United States Office of Management and Budget] memo. there’s many other topics of the day.’
Bruce, ABC News’ chief White House correspondent, previously covered the Biden administration, and spearheaded the network’s coverage of the first impeachment trial of President Trump.
She also covered the president’s second impeachment in 2021, and the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.
‘Throughout her four years in the halls of the Capitol, Bruce conducted news-making interviews with top lawmakers and broke down the day’s top stories,’ a bio on ABC’s website states.
She also covered the 2016 election, ‘travel[ing] around the country contributing to ABC News’ coverage of [both] presidential campaigns.’
Bruce, ABC’s chief White House correspondent, previously covered Biden administration, and once the network’s coverage of the first impeachment trial of Trump. She also covered the president’s second impeachment in 2021, and the probe into Russian election interference
Nancy Cordes (CBS News)
Another front-row foe emerged in the form of Cordes, CBS News’ chief White House correspondent. She has been a prominent presence in the legacy station’s election coverage since 2008.
An 18-year vet as well, the 50-year-old journalist also used her platform Tuesday to try to tear into Leavitt about the no-longer relevant freeze, before also being silenced.
‘How long is this pause going to last?’ Cordes asked, before sneaking in a more pointed question.
‘And how is the Trump Administration recommending that organizations that rely on federal funding to make payroll, pay their rent in the meantime?’ One of the identical, repetitive question Leavitt mentioned, it still elicited a response.
‘It is a temporary pause and the Office of Management and budget is reviewing uh the federal funding that has been going out the door – again, not for individual assistants, but for all of these other programs that I mentioned,’ Leavitt answered.
‘I also spoke with the incoming director of [the United States Office of Management and Budget] this morning, and he told me to tell all of you that the line to his office is open for other federal government agencies across the board.
‘If they feel that programs are necessary and in line with the president’s agenda, then the Office of Management and Budget will review those policies.’
Leavitt went on to pan the previous administration, saying they ‘spent money like drunken sailors.
Another front-row foe emerged in the form of Nancy Cordes, CBS News’ chief White House correspondent. She has been a prominent presence in the legacy station’s election coverage since 2008
She used her platform Tuesday to try to tear into Leavitt about the no-longer relevant freeze, before also being silenced. Following her response, Leavitt panned the Biden administration, saying they ‘spent money like drunken sailors’ and that Trump was trying to correct this
‘It’s a big reason we’ve had an inflation crisis in this country,’ she concluded.
Bruce – who spearheaded CBS News’ coverage from Capitol Hill during the riots in January 2021 – did not appear satisfied.
‘Honestly, why impose this pause with so little notice?’ she asked. ‘Why not give organizations more time to plan for the fact that they are about to lose, in some cases, really crucial Federal Funding?’
‘There was notice,’ a no-nonsense Leavitt replied. ‘It was the executive order that the president signed. There’s also a freeze on hiring, as you know, a regulatory freeze and there’s also a freeze on foreign aid.
‘And this is, again, incredibly important to ensure that this Administration is taking into consideration how hard the American people are working,’ Leavitt continued.
Adding how some $37billion nearly went to World Health Organization (WHO) before the executive order, the press secretary concluded: ‘Their tax dollars actually matter to this administration.’
Bruce, meanwhile, is well-versed in such subject, reporting extensively on government shutdowns for 12 years as CBS News’ chief Congressional correspondent.
She also covered the congressional investigation into Russian election interference, the 2017 tax cut bill, the battle over President Barack Obama’s health care law, and ongoing debates over immigration reform and gun control.
Cordes is seen covering the vice-presidential debate between then-Sen. JD Vance and Gov. Tim Walz in New York City. The event was hosted and moderated by CBS
Jacqui Heinrich (Fox News)
A fresher face in the crowd, Heinrich, 36, was promoted to the post of Senior White House Correspondent just this past June.
Also seated in the front row, she wasted no time grilling Leavitt about her boss’s decision to pull security details for perceived critics.
Progressives like CNN’s Acosta have slammed this and others moves as retaliatory and petty, paving the way for a particularly fierce line of questioning from Fox News’ correspondent.
Peter Doocy – famed for his clashes with former press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre – was noticeably absent.
His protégé pulled no punches, peppering Leavitt with a series of questions in quick succession.
‘On stripping security details for figures like John Bolton, Pompeo, Brian Hook, Senator Tom Cotton said that he has seen the intelligence and the threat from Iran is real for anyone who played a role in the Soleimani strike,’ she began.
The journalist then brought how Cotton ‘voiced concern it wouldn’t just impact those individuals, but potentially their family, innocent bystanders, friends, anyone who’s near them when they’re out in public.
‘Is the president open to reconsidering his decision?’ she asked.
A fresher face in the crowd, Heinrich, 36, was promoted to the post of Senior White House Correspondent just this past June. She wasted no time grilling Leavitt, before being silenced with facts
‘The president was asked and answered this yesterday, and he was firm in his decision, despite some of the comments that you had referenced,’ Leavitt, who was born and raised in New Hampshire, replied.
‘And he’s made it very clear that he does not believe American taxpayers should fund security details for individuals who have served in the government for the rest of their lives.
‘And there’s nothing stopping these individuals that you mentioned from obtaining private security,’ she added. ‘That’s where the president stands on it. I have no updates on that.’
Heinrich, however, continued to press forth, asking whether ‘there [was] any concern that this decision might jeopardize the administration’s ability to hire the best advisers for these kinds of positions in the future.’
Leavitt replied with a curt, ‘No’, before offering more explanation.
‘In fact, I’ve talked to the presidential personnel office who has told me directly that there is such an influx of resumes for this administration that it’s incredibly overwhelming. There is no lack of talent for the Trump administration.’
As she continued to speak, Heinrich – who joined Fox News in 2018 – interjected, perhaps providing a hint at her style of journalism early on.
‘Would he take any responsibility of anything happened to these people, would he feel at all that his decision was a factor in that?’ she asked – leaving Leavitt to say, ‘The president was asked and answered this yesterday. I’d defer you to his comments.’
