Karoline Leavitt Caught in Her Web of Lies While Defending Trump – Then Snaps at Reporters

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt engaged in a tense, finger-pointing exchange with CNN’s Kaitlan Collins during Thursday’s briefing, defending President Donald Trump’s controversial advice to parents on holiday spending while accusing the media of pushing “untrue narratives.”

The confrontation highlighted the administration’s growing frustration with persistent questions about economic affordability—a vulnerability that has dogged Trump despite his boasts of a booming recovery.

The 28-year-old known for her combative style from the podium, faced a barrage of questions on rising living costs two weeks before Christmas. At the heart of the dispute: Trump’s recent suggestion that families limit toy purchases to “two or three dolls” for their children, framing it as a push for higher-quality, American-made goods amid his tariff policies.

CNN White House correspondent Kaitlan Collins led the charge, pressing Leavitt on the apparent contradiction between Trump’s rosy economic claims and his frugal holiday guidance.

“If the economy is as strong as the president has said it is, then why is he telling parents two weeks before Christmas that they should only buy two or three dolls for their children?” Collins asked.

Leavitt pivoted swiftly to the administration’s “America First” narrative: “Look, what the president is saying is that if we want products made right here in America, if we want them to be made from American small businesses—which is a large part of the reason the president has effectively implemented tariffs—then we’re going to have better quality products right here in the United States.”

She acknowledged potential short-term costs: “Maybe you’ll pay a dollar or two more, but you will get better quality and you’ll be supporting your fellow Americans by buying American.”

Leavitt then rattled off optimistic metrics, insisting “every economic metric” shows improvement over the Biden era: inflation at 2.5%, rising worker wages, and falling gas prices nationwide. “The president is digging our country out of the economic hole that the previous administration put us in,” she declared.

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Pushback and a Personal Jab

Collins wasn’t satisfied, countering that grocery prices “have been up” and that the administration has sent “mixed signals” on the economy. As other reporters shouted follow-ups on inflation, Leavitt doubled down: “Inflation is down.”

The exchange escalated when Leavitt turned the tables, invoking her predecessor Karine Jean-Pierre: “My predecessor stood up at this podium and she said inflation doesn’t exist. She said the border was secure and people like you just took her at her word and that those were two utter lies.”

Directly addressing Collins, Leavitt accused: “Everything I’m telling you is the truth backed by real factual data and you just don’t want to report on it because you want to push untrue narratives about the president.”

Moments later, Leavitt seized on a question about the ongoing bidding war between Netflix and Paramount for Warner Bros. Discovery—which owns CNN—to broaden her critique.

“Well, I think the president’s comments yesterday about the sale of CNN and new leadership is evidenced by my exchange with the CNN reporter in this room,” she said. “Their viewership has gone down, their ratings have declined, and I think the president rightfully believes that network would benefit from new ownership. With respect to this deal, he has great respect for both companies who are bidding against one another.”

The administration’s rapid-response machine amplified the assault post-briefing. The official White House Rapid Response account on X posted: “Your daily reminder that Fake News @kaitlancollins is not a journalist. She is a mouthpiece for the Democrat Party.”

President Trump himself has a history of targeting Collins. Last week on Truth Social, he misspelled her name as “Caitlin Collin’s” while complaining about a question on ballroom construction costs at his property. “I said because it is going to be double the size, and the quality of finishes and interiors has been brought to the highest level,” Trump wrote, adding it would be “much bigger and more beautiful than originally planned.”

Collins clarified at the time via an Instagram Story (now expired) that the interview in question focused on foreign policy: “Technically, my question was about Venezuela,” where Trump had discussed receiving a FIFA Peace Prize amid threats of military action and bombing drug-smuggling vessels.

Did you Know?: Karoline Leavitt Reveals She’s Traumatized Working for Trump

Affordability as a Lingering Vulnerability

The briefing clash arrives as affordability remains a thorn in the administration’s side. Recent polls show widespread voter concern over persistent high costs for essentials like groceries and housing, despite alleged cooling inflation and strong job growth.

Trump’s tariff agenda—designed to boost domestic manufacturing—has drawn criticism for potentially driving up consumer prices further, prompting his recent emphasis on “quality over quantity” in spending.

Leavitt’s aggressive defense aligns with the White House’s strategy of framing media scrutiny as biased while touting selective metrics. Yet, independent analyses note that while headline inflation has moderated to around 2.5%, cumulative price increases since 2021 linger, with food costs up significantly and real wages only recently recovering pre-pandemic purchasing power.

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The episode also shows Leavitt’s role as Trump’s fiercest media defender. Appointed at 27 as the youngest press secretary in history, she has cultivated a reputation for sharp rebuttals and loyalty, often echoing the president’s “fake news” rhetoric.

Thursday’s performance drew praise from conservative commentators but renewed calls from critics for more substantive engagement on economic hardships.

As Christmas approaches and midterm pressures mount, such briefings highlight the administration’s tightrope: celebrating gains while downplaying pains that resonate with everyday Americans. For reporters like Collins, persistent questioning ensures those pains aren’t overlooked—even if it invites personal backlash from the podium and beyond.