Karoline Leavitt Poised, Polite, Pointed at First Press Briefing

For the American media, Jan. 28 was something of an auspicious day – and a day of firsts. On Tuesday afternoon, the White House press corps gathered in the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room to receive the first briefing since Donald Trump became president (again). That briefing was delivered for the first time by Karoline Leavitt, who, at age 27, is the youngest White House press secretary in American history. And in another first, Leavitt introduced the “new media” chair, which will be filled on a rotating basis by news reporters from “alternative” sources, such as podcasts or news sites that are less well-known than legacy media and that have never previously had a place in the press corps covering the White House.

As soon as she began taking questions, it became clear that Karoline Leavitt was more poised, more confident, and more prepared than her immediate predecessor, Karine Jean-Pierre, who almost always seemed out of her depth.

Karoline Leavitt Takes First Swing at the Press

Before she fielded questions from the press corps, though, Leavitt gave a rundown of what the Trump administration has achieved thus far – predominantly, the apprehension and repatriation of thousands of illegal aliens, some of whom had committed heinous crimes. The new press secretary also emphasized the administration’s commitment to free speech and called out the establishment media for some of its less-than-honest reporting:

“While I vow to provide the truth from this podium, we ask that all of you in this room hold yourselves to that same standard. We know for a fact there have been lies that have been pushed by many legacy media outlets in this country about this president, about his family – and we will not accept that. We will call you out when we feel your reporting is wrong or there’s misinformation about this White House.”

The rest of the briefing focused mainly on the ongoing deportations of illegal aliens and on the temporary freeze Trump ordered on certain government projects, services, and grants. “The reason for this,” Leavitt explained about the spending hold, “is to ensure that every penny that is going out the door is not conflicting with the executive orders and actions that this president has taken.”

A couple of examples Leavitt highlighted were the $37 million about to go to the World Health Organization, from which the United States will now be withdrawing, and the $50 million that was earmarked to fund the purchase of condoms for the Gaza Strip.

Although none of the reporters present were especially combative – perhaps graciously granting Karoline Leavitt a honeymoon period, so to speak – there was a spicy back-and-forth on the deportations. Certain members of the press corps seem perturbed that many of the aliens being detained for repatriation may not have criminal records. The press secretary pointed out that anyone who enters the United States illegally is “by definition” a criminal, though she did acknowledge that violent offenders are still the priority target of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids.

All in all, it was an impressive debut from Karoline Leavitt. Unlike Jean-Pierre, she didn’t need to consult her notes while responding to a question. Still, considering she is representing a president for whom the establishment media nurses an almost unfathomable disdain, Leavitt’s ability, patience, and judgment are yet to be fully put to the test.