ANI
Updated At : 11:36 AM Apr 01, 2026 IST
US President Donald Trump on Tuesday joked about whether to keep White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt or fire her, telling reporters in the Oval Office that he would keep her.
“We have to straighten out our media. People don’t believe the media. And to finish, I got 93% bad publicity. Some people say 97, but between 93 and 97. A person that gets 97% of bad stories, maybe Karoline’s doing a poor job, I don’t know. She’s my rep… you’re doing a terrible job. Should we keep her? I think we’ll keep her,” he said.
Trump reiterated that most of his press coverage is negative. “But I get 93 to 97% bad press, fake press, all fake. I won in a landslide. When you get 93 to 97% bad stories, bad press, and you win in a landslide, you know what that says? People don’t believe the press. And when people don’t believe the press, that’s a very bad thing for our country,” he added.
Earlier, at a Women’s History Month event, Trump praised Leavitt as “the youngest and perhaps the best, White House press secretary in history,” saying she does a fantastic job and keeps him in check.
The administration’s relationship with reporters has been tense, with Leavitt known for sharp exchanges. On October 20, she labeled Huffington Post reporter S.V. Dáte a “left-wing hack,” sharing a screenshot and accusing him of repeatedly sending Democrat talking points and attacking the president. In an August 11, 2025 briefing, when asked about building a new briefing room, Trump said he did not want reporters to be comfortable, adding, “I don’t want to make life comfortable.”
