President Donald Trump publicly rebuked his White House press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, on Tuesday, accusing her of failing to stem what he claimed was a torrent of '97 per cent' negative media coverage during a briefing in Washington. The 28‑year‑old Republican, the youngest ever to hold the role since Trump's inauguration last January, stood by as the president openly questioned whether to keep her in post.
Leavitt has been a staunch defender of Trump since joining his 2024 campaign press team, taking the job after stints at Fox News and as an assistant press secretary in his first administration. Her rise from a 19‑year‑old pro‑Trump op‑ed writer at Saint Anselm College in New Hampshire to the briefing‑room podium has marked her out as a committed MAGA loyalist. Trump's off‑the‑cuff remarks, however, pointed to the precariousness of loyalty inside his orbit.
