White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt’s antics during a recent press briefing on Thursday prompted strong critiques from the public.
The briefing occurred just one day after a woman was killed by an ICE agent in Minneapolis, and the White House press secretary’s behavior as she addressed the matter has people talking. What they’re saying isn’t nice.
Thirty-seven-year-old Renee Nicole Good was shot and killed by ICE agent Jonathan Ross after leaving a traffic stop shortly after dropping her 6-year-old off at school. Federal officials allege she weaponized her SUV, but bodycam and bystander videos show Good waiting calmly and even waving agents past her before her vehicle was blocked in; she can be heard saying “That’s fine, dude, I’m not mad at you” just moments before she was fatally struck. The footage appears to contradict the claim that she posed an imminent threat.
Afterward, Ross is heard calling one of the women a f*cking b*tch.”
Leavitt addressed the slaying with a smile on her face, and that isn’t sitting well with folks, and neither is what she said. A video of her address was shared on Threads with the caption, “The beginning of the press briefing. This is the moment I knew this was a complete and utter sham of a press briefing.”
The press secretary is often dressed inappropriately for her role. Leavitt often wears skirts or dresses that are far too short, and during a press briefing celebrating Trump’s second term after one month in office, she wore a very short cream skirt with black nylons.
During the briefing about ICE, she enthusiastically made her way to the podium wearing a black jacket with a short, black skirt paired with matching knee-high, high-heeled boots. She was also flashing a mega-white smile, and the first thing she said after “good afternoon” was a Trump-loving statement.
“Good afternoon, everybody,” Leavitt said. “Let me be clear. President Trump and his entire administration stand fully behind the heroic men and women of ICE.” Her facial expression became serious as she spoke.
Leavitt went on to blame Democrats for the shooting while using racist terms like “illegal aliens” to describe immigrants.
“The deadly incident that took place in Minnesota yesterday occurred as a result of a larger, sinister left-wing movement that has spread across our country,” she claimed. “Where our brave men and women of federal law enforcement are under organized attack,” incorrectly adding that the left doesn’t want border control.
View on Threads
Reactions on Threads were anything but calms, as social media users responded, pushing back on what they described as Trump’s administration spinning out of control, while others zeroed in on claims from Leavitt they said didn’t hold up.
Others mocked the tone of the press conference altogether, questioning whether what they were watching was real. “This looks like a skit of her auditioning to be the press secretary. This isn’t real life,” joked a second person.
Criticism soon shifted to her delivery, with users claiming she maintained a straight face while making statements that just didn’t add up or were contradicted by publicly available video. A number of commenters zeroed in on her age, arguing the pressure of the role showed in her appearance, while others used humor to suggest the job was aging her faster than expected.
“Lies age them like raisins,” one person joked, while another added, “First day at Broom Hilda academy looking a–,” comparing Leavitt to the popular Russell Myers comic strip “Broom-Hilda.”
Others leaned into sarcasm, commenting on her appearance and age. “Why does she have a big dent on her forehead between her eyes? She looks like she’s from Whoville” one user asked, while another noted, “The fact she is still in her 20s but look like she’s in her 40s lets me know her lies are stressing her out.”
The comments ultimately landed on a broader question of accountability. “Like when will this blonde lady be held accountable for all the lies aren’t they under oath?” one person asked, echoing a sentiment repeated throughout the thread.
Vice President JD Vance also spoke at the briefing, where he defended Ross and blamed Good for her own demise, calling it “a tragedy of her own making.”
