Karoline Leavitt knows better than anyone the ups and downs of dealing with the press pool at the Trump White House, and she's got some thoughts about the hubbub surrounding the president's decision to pull credentials from a few left-leaning outlets. All is not as it may seem from the outside, she warns.
Leavitt left her role as White House press secretary, a position she held since the beginning of the second Trump term, last month, and now she's lifting the veil on what went on behind the scenes with the press corps tasked with covering 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
The issue is especially hot right now after Trump banned CNN, MS NOW, and Politico from having access to the White House; the outlets, in turn, sued him to have their credentials returned. That has yet to be decided.
Appearing Tuesday on Sean Hannity's podcast, Leavitt recalled how reporters would privately apologize to her for their aggressive behavior and "unfair" questions during her briefings, something she referred to as "performative."
Many of the press corps now whining about their restricted access, she revealed, were “totally different people” when the briefings ended and the cameras stopped rolling.
“There’s a performative aspect to the briefing room. In fairness, I think on both sides, right? But definitely with the press, and they have to do that because their bosses are demanding it,” Leavitt said. “They know it’s an unfair question but they’re not in control of their own, like, livelihood. They are dictated by the editors and the execs at some of these companies.”
Karoline Leavitt says reporters privately apologized over 'unfair' questions: 'Performative' https://t.co/JLbZwfe8wh pic.twitter.com/pxglXFSjKZ
— New York Post (@nypost) September 22, 2026
Leavitt pointed to CBS as an outlet affected by the editorial decisions of its leadership. After Bari Weiss was brought in as editor-in-chief, said Leavitt, the coverage became more even-handed and fair.
“You know, we’re seeing big changes at CBS, which I think are great. I think we’ve seen a lot of improvement with them, and again, we’re not asking for, like, positive puff pieces every day. Just fairness. Truth. Accuracy,” Leavitt said.
“Writing about an executive order that the president of the United States signed should not be a questionable thing, should a journalist do that or not, it should just be, ‘Yeah, of course I’ll write about this,’” she added.
And may be the most telling part of Leavitt’s account of the briefing room – if reporters knew their questions were unfair enough to apologize afterward, then “performative” is a very polite way of putting it. Phonies might be more accurate.
Editor's Note: Do you enjoy RedState's conservative reporting exposing the radical left and woke media? Support our work so we can keep bringing you the truth.
Join RedState VIP and use promo code FIGHT to receive 60% off your membership.
Join the Conversation
VIP members get the ability to comment on articles.