President Donald Trump suggested Tuesday that White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt may be responsible for the “bad publicity” he receives, framing the critique as a jab at his primary media liaison during an Oval Office signing ceremony.
While signing an executive order on March 31, the 79-year-old president transitioned from a standard critique of the press to a direct evaluation of Leavitt. The 28-year-old press secretary, the youngest in U.S. history, is currently preparing for maternity leave ahead of the birth of her second child.
“I got 93% bad publicity, some people say 97… maybe Karoline’s doing a poor job, I don’t know,” Trump stated. Addressing Leavitt directly in front of the press corps, he added, “You’re doing a terrible job.”
A White House representative later confirmed the remarks were intended as a joke. Trump eventually walked back the comment, asking reporters, “Shall we keep her? I think we’ll keep her.”
During the exchange, Trump utilized the platform to reiterate his grievances with mainstream media, claiming the public has lost faith in news outlets. He cited his 2024 victory as evidence that his supporters disregard critical reporting.
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“I won in a landslide,” Trump asserted. “When you get 93-97 bad stories… and you win in a landslide, you know what that says? People don’t believe the press.”
However, official election results contradict the “landslide” narrative. Trump secured the presidency with 49.8% of the popular vote. Furthermore, the president provided no verified source or data set to support his specific “93% to 97%” negative coverage statistics.
This incident follows a pattern of unconventional commentary regarding Leavitt’s professional performance and physical appearance. While Trump has previously labeled her a “star” and “the best press secretary” during an August interview with Newsmax, he has also employed polarizing metaphors.
In October, while departing Israel, Trump interrupted a foreign policy briefing to ask reporters if Leavitt should be replaced. After assuring the press that a dismissal would “never happen,” he described her speaking style by stating, “That face… and those lips, they move like a machine gun.”
The Oval Office exchange occurs amid a minor departmental controversy involving the news agency Agence France-Presse (AFP). Earlier this week, AFP retracted a photo of Leavitt with her son and a turkey.
While initial reports suggested the White House requested the removal due to the image being “unflattering,” AFP denied any political pressure. The agency maintained the photo was deleted because it failed to meet internal technical quality standards.
Leavitt, who served as the national press secretary for the 2024 campaign, has remained a central figure in the administration’s efforts to bypass traditional media channels since taking office in January 2025.
