President Donald Trump had been mid-rant about the media’s “dishonesty” when Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán suddenly interrupted him — but the moment that set social media ablaze didn’t come until later.
Moments earlier, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt had already stolen the spotlight. She’d launched into yet another meltdown about inflation and “fake news,” railing that the press refused to credit Trump for supposedly making life more affordable.
“He signed the largest middle-class tax cut in six months, in record time, putting more money back in the American people’s pockets,” she snapped. “So affordability is what the American people elected this president to do, and he is doing it—and you guys refuse to cover it!”
Trump jumped in, pleased with the theater. “You know why they refuse to cover it?” he sneered. “Because they’re fake news. That’s why.”
Only then did Orbán, seated beside him, cut him off with an unexpected question that made jaws drop. “Can I get her?” he asked, gesturing toward Leavitt. Trump laughed awkwardly. “Karoline, the prime minister would like you to work for him in Hungary.”
“Please consider it,” Orbán added.
“You know what? That’s a very good decision you just made,” Trump smirked before back-pedaling, “Please, please, please don’t leave us, Karoline.”
Social media wasn’t buying the moment and found it rephrensible.
“Is that what he asked? The Prime Minister??? He asked to hire her…to work for him…in politics???” asked a shocked user on X.
“LMAO Yes, I can imagine Hitler would try to hire her away too,” mocked another.
“Creepy perverts, the both of them,” said another. While another added, “Two old men showing what is most important to them.”
Several viewers were creeped out by the moment, but others took issue with Leavitt’s actual respose as she was once again too comfortable spewing falsehoods.
“Working on affordability? When? Between gold swings and MAL parties?” this X user wondered.
“She is a liar, a cheater, a Botox eater!” social poster Allen stated.
This X user was furious, “Funny how they act like “owning a reporter” is some historic victory… while the same crew can’t answer a single question about corruption, wars, missing billions, or why half the country can’t afford groceries. They celebrate a microphone moment because they can’t defend a real record.
If Trump’s team was as good at governing as they are at clapping for each other,
America wouldn’t be broke, divided, and bleeding jobs. But sure… tell us again how a press-room comeback is “leadership.””
Leavitt rage against the media appeared to have been stewing all day.
“And I’ve been watching the TV all day, saying that he doesn’t want to talk about affordability. That’s what he’s working on every day, and that’s what this administration is doing,” an irate Leavitt proclaimed in a huff.
Trump has spent the week insisting he’s lowered prices from energy to food since returning to office, even after Democrats trounced Republicans in the off-year elections. Yet most Americans continue to face record costs for essentials. NPR reported Thursday that electricity prices have climbed 40 percent since February alone
And the data doesn’t back Leavitt’s claim either. At a rally earlier this year, Trump boasted, “Republicans passed the biggest tax cuts in American history. Everybody in this room is better for them.”
But, as the Brookings Institution pointed out, “Everybody is not better off from the recent tax cuts, which have only served to increase the federal budget deficit—now $779 billion for FY 2018. To be sure, the middle class gets help temporarily, but over the longer run, the middle class will be worse off.”
In other words, the very voters Leavitt says Trump rescued are falling further behind — seeing slower income growth than both the rich and the poor.
