ANI
Updated At: 11:36 AM Apr 01, 2026 IST
In the Oval Office on Tuesday, US President Donald Trump joked about whether to keep or fire White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, ultimately telling reporters he would keep her.
Speaking about the media, Trump said much of his coverage is negative and dismissed it as “fake press.” He repeated his claim that he receives “93% to 97% bad press,” saying that such overwhelmingly negative coverage, despite winning “in a landslide,” shows that people no longer trust the press. He added that a person who attracts that much negative coverage might be doing a poor job, then turned the remark toward Leavitt: “She’s my rep… you’re doing a terrible job. Should we keep her? I think we’ll keep her.”
Earlier at a Women’s History Month event, Trump praised Leavitt, calling her “the youngest and perhaps the best, White House press secretary in history,” and saying she does a fantastic job and helps keep him in check.
The administration’s relationship with reporters has been strained, and Leavitt has become known for sharp exchanges with the press. On October 20 she labeled Huffington Post reporter S.V. Dáte a “left-wing hack,” sharing a screenshot and accusing him of repeatedly sending Democratic talking points and attacking the president. In an August 11, 2025 briefing, Trump said he did not want reporters to be comfortable in a new briefing room, adding, “I don’t want to make life comfortable.”
The remarks underline ongoing tensions between the White House and the media as the administration pushes back against critical coverage.
