Karoline Leavitt came out swinging. The White House Press Secretary opened her briefing by blasting the media and accusing reporters of “actively rooting” against President Trump.
She said the press was not only unfair but also trying to block Trump’s peace push. “All weekend, following those historic U.S.-Russia bilateral talks, we listened to clueless pundits on television trying, but failing, to claim that the president had failed,” she said.
Going even further, Leavitt mocked the foreign policy establishment and said they had no right to lecture Trump. “The so-called experts in the foreign policy establishment, whose record is nothing but endless wars, trillions of wasted taxpayer dollars and dead Americans, have the nerve to try and lecture President Trump, who has solved seven global conflicts in seven months, about peace.”
🚨BREAKING MELTDOWN: Karoline Leavitt attacks the press after Trump’s summit, accusing the media of “ROOTING AGAINST PEACE.”
So far we’ve heard ZERO deals, ZERO wins, and ZERO progress. She’s covering for Trump’s fragile ego. pic.twitter.com/ZsGhLEtaWm
— CALL TO ACTIVISM (@CalltoActivism) August 19, 2025
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Her rant came after Trump’s big summit with Vladimir Putin in Alaska. The Russian president got a red carpet, a ride in Trump’s limousine, and applause from Trump himself. But the three-hour meeting ended without a ceasefire or new sanctions. Trump later said it was only a “listening session” and a step before a second round.
That second round came on Monday. Trump sat down with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and the leaders of France, Britain, Italy, Germany, NATO, and the EU in Washington. The gathering was framed as historic, with Trump’s allies calling it a turning point in the war.
Republicans moved fast to celebrate. On Tuesday, Andy Ogles and Marlin Stutzman nominated Trump for a Nobel Peace Prize for what they called his efforts to stop the conflict.
Trump said a direct meeting between Putin and Zelensky was “close at hand.” But he also warned that it might require territorial concessions from Ukraine and a commitment from Russia to stop its attacks.
That promise of peace was overshadowed almost instantly. Russia fired hundreds of missiles and drones overnight, even while claiming to be open to talks. The Russian foreign ministry also drew a red line. “We reaffirm our repeatedly stated position of categorical rejection of any scenarios that envisage the appearance in Ukraine of a military contingent with NATO countries, which is fraught with an uncontrolled escalation of the conflict with unpredictable consequences.”
Leavitt brushed aside the violence and kept her focus on the media. She told reporters they were the reason Americans had no faith in journalism. “This is why Americans’ trust in the mass media is at a lowest point in more than five decades,” she said.
She added that reporters were trying to undermine diplomacy. “Diplomacy is a delicate process, and instead of reporting the facts about what is happening here at this White House and what is happening between this President and other leaders around the world, many outlets in this room continue to try to actively undermine the president and sabotage the efforts towards peace.”
Vice President JD Vance quickly backed her up. He posted online, “Karoline Leavitt lighting the American media up for lying about our negotiations with Russia and Ukraine.”
Karoline Leavitt lighting the American media up for lying about our negotiations with Russia and Ukraine.
— JD Vance (@JDVance) August 19, 2025
Featured image via X screengrab
