Washington, D.C. – In her first official appearance as White House press secretary, Karoline Leavitt defended President Donald Trump’s decision to freeze federal aid and ramp up immigration enforcement, arguing that the administration is fulfilling its promise to be “good stewards of tax dollars.”
At just 27 years old, Leavitt is the youngest person to serve in this role. During the packed briefing, she faced multiple questions about the abrupt pause on federal funding, which left Medicaid portals inaccessible nationwide. While assuring that the freeze was not a complete halt on all federal assistance programs, she stopped short of confirming whether Medicaid recipients would see any disruptions.
“I’ll check back on that,” Leavitt responded when pressed about whether individuals would lose healthcare coverage.
Shortly after the briefing, she took to social media to reassure Americans that Medicaid portals would be restored soon.
A Shift in White House Press StrategyLeavitt’s briefing also signaled a change in the Trump administration’s approach to media relations. Breaking long-standing protocol, she bypassed traditional news outlets and instead prioritized questions from conservative and independent journalists.
In an unexpected move, she opened the floor to Mike Allen of Axios and Matthew Boyle of Breitbart, rather than the Associated Press, which has historically been given the first question. The briefing room also welcomed correspondents from outlets like Right Side Broadcasting Network and Bannon’s War Room.
“I take great pride in opening up this room to new media voices to share the president’s message with as many Americans as possible,” she stated, announcing that independent journalists, bloggers, and social media content creators could now apply for White House press credentials.
Additionally, Leavitt pledged to reinstate over 400 press passes revoked under the previous administration, marking a significant shift in access to the White House press corps.
Immigration Crackdown and DOJ Staffing ChangesLeavitt also addressed concerns over recent immigration raids that resulted in mass arrests, confirming that while criminal offenders remain the primary targets, those overstaying visas would not be exempt from deportation.
On the Justice Department front, she defended Trump’s decision to dismiss career prosecutors involved in Special Counsel Jack Smith’s investigations, stating: “The president is the head of the executive branch and has the authority to remove officials as he sees fit.”
Revealing Drone Investigation FindingsBefore concluding, Leavitt shared new findings on last year’s unexplained drone activity over New Jersey. She revealed that the drones were authorized by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for research purposes, putting to rest weeks of speculation about their origin and intent.
“This information was just shared with me directly from President Trump in the Oval Office,” she noted.
While Leavitt did not specify how often these briefings will take place, she assured reporters that both she and Trump would remain highly accessible, emphasizing that “the president himself is the best spokesperson this White House has.”
