Karoline Leavitt fact-checked over Trump ‘peace’ lie
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt came under fire this week after making a widely criticized claim during a television interview regarding President Trump’s foreign policy legacy.
In a Monday appearance on Fox & Friends, Leavitt enthusiastically defended Trump’s recent military action against Iran and sought to position him as the architect of a well-known diplomatic philosophy.
“Nobody knows what it means to accomplish peace through strength better than President Trump,” Leavitt declared during the segment. “He is the one who came up with that motto and that foreign policy doctrine, and he successfully implemented it in his first term.”
Her statement, intended to bolster Trump’s image as a decisive leader, quickly drew sharp criticism across social media platforms. Commentators and historians alike were quick to point out that the phrase “peace through strength” predates Trump by centuries.
The concept was used as far back as the Roman Empire, including by Emperor Hadrian nearly 2,000 years ago. More recently, the phrase has been associated with U.S. leaders such as President Ronald Reagan, Republican presidential nominee Barry Goldwater, and was the title of a 1952 book by prominent adviser Bernard Baruch.
A clip of Leavitt’s remarks, shared on the social platform Bluesky, prompted a wave of mocking and incredulous responses.
One user noted, “Goldwater and Reagan used the phrase long before Trump. He can’t even plagiarize effectively.” Others took a more humorous approach, suggesting Trump’s supposed authorship of other well-known sayings.
“Oh, and you know that saying ‘The enemy of my enemy is my friend’? That was also Trump. He also coined the term ‘Let there be light,’” quipped one user. Additional sarcastic contributions followed: “He also invented the Cobb Salad,” and “He also invented pizza!”
Some responses took a harsher tone, condemning what they saw as blatant misinformation.
“Despicable. Shameful. Every word she speaks is a lie — or at least completely false and wrong,” one commenter wrote. “She’s either stupid, evil, ambitious, programmed, or vapid. Or all of it. Her family should be ashamed.”
Other users expressed concern over what they characterized as propaganda. “I’m so sick of this North Korea level of propaganda,” said one commenter, while another added, “The level of sheer idiocy and pandering to Trump’s ego that comes out of this regime is staggering!”
The scrutiny also turned personal at times. Noting the age gap between Leavitt, 27, and her 59-year-old husband, one user remarked, “Jesus Christ, that saying is older than her husband/daddy.”
Another commenter sarcastically speculated about future moves: “How much time before they ask the Secretary of Education to ban all the books that suggest the statement had been used by other figures since forever?”
Neither Leavitt nor the White House had issued a clarification or response to the widespread criticism.
Leavitt: "Nobody knows what it means to accomplish peace through strength better than President Trump. He is the one who came up with that motto and that foreign policy doctrine."
Trump’s Inner Circle Aren’t Happy with Him
Critics from within Trump’s inner circle and MAGA-aligned conservative establishment have condemned the recent strike on Iranian nuclear sites as a reckless deviation from “America First” principles.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R‑GA) blasted the action via X, asserting, “Every time America is on the verge of greatness, we get involved in another foreign war… This is not our fight.”
Greene—normally a staunch Trump ally—warned that military entanglement distracts from domestic priorities and betrays Trump’s anti‑interventionist campaign promises.
Similarly, Rep. Thomas Massie (R‑KY) took legal and constitutional issue, introducing legislation demanding a congressional vote on the strikes. He cautioned there was “no imminent threat” justifying unilateral action, calling the bombing both “politically… bad” and “not constitutional.”
Longtime populist conservative Steve Bannon lamented the move as a betrayal of MAGA’s foundational rejection of “endless wars,” predicting base backlash even as he tempered outright opposition.
Tucker Carlson also voiced harsh criticism, decrying the shift away from prior isolationism—though reports indicate some backtracking from Carlson after his initial remarks.
Collectively, these dissenters argue the strike undermines Trump’s credibility, risks sparking broader conflict, and flouts constitutional war powers—a repudiation from voices once aligned under the MAGA banner.
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