In a bold move during a Tuesday press briefing, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt decisively confronted an Associated Press reporter for posing what she deemed a disrespectful and dishonest question.
During a heated exchange with the AP’s Josh Boak, Leavitt responded to the misleading assertion that President Trump is proposing tax hikes through tariffs. Boak’s question implied that Trump would address this issue at the upcoming Business Roundtable Quarterly Meeting.
Leavitt firmly countered, saying, “Tariffs are a tax hike on foreign countries that have been taking advantage of us. Tariffs are a tax cut for the American people, and the President is a staunch advocate of tax cuts,” reaffirming Trump’s commitment to “no taxes on tips, no taxes on overtime, and no taxes on Social Security benefits.”
Recently, the White House emerged victorious in a lawsuit against the Associated Press, which resulted in the AP losing access to privileged spaces such as the Oval Office and Air Force One. A federal judge had denied the AP’s emergency motion to regain access to the White House press pool.
Following this ruling, the White House, as reported, took control of the press room from the White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA) and their mainstream media allies. Late last month, Leavitt announced that the WHCA would no longer monopolize decisions about which outlets would be included in the coveted White House press pool.
Leavitt declared, “A select group of DC-based journalists should no longer have a monopoly over the privilege of press access at the White House.”
BREAKING: Karoline Leavitt Strips White House Correspondents’ Association of Its “Monopoly” Over White House Press Access, Announces New Plans to Expand Press Pool to New Media (VIDEO)
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During the briefing, the AP reporter attempted to lecture Leavitt, claiming, “I’m sorry. Have you ever paid a tariff? Because I have,” trying to challenge her understanding of tariffs and their economic impact.
Leavitt responded with determination, stating, “I think it’s insulting that you are trying to test my knowledge of economics and the decisions this President has made.” She added, “I now regret giving a question to the Associated Press.”
Boak: When President Trump last addressed the BRT when he was on the campaign trail, his big push was on tax cuts. He’s going there today as he’s proposing tax hikes in the form of tariffs, and I’m curious about how he’s prioritizing that over the tax cuts.
Leavitt: Not true. He’s not doing that. He’s actually not implementing tax hikes. Tariffs are a tax hike on foreign countries that, again, have been taking advantage of us. Tariffs are a tax cut for the American people, and the President is a staunch advocate of tax cuts. As you know, he campaigned on no taxes on tips, no taxes on overtime, no taxes on Social Security benefits. He is committed to all three of those things, and he expects Congress to pass them later this year.
Boak: I’m sorry. Have you ever paid a tariff? Because I have. They don’t get charged on foreign companies. They get charged on the importers.
Leavitt: Ultimately, when we have fair and balanced trade, which the American people have not seen in decades, as I said at the beginning, revenues will stay here, wages will go up, and our country will be made wealthy again. And I think it’s insulting that you are trying to test my knowledge of economics and the decisions this President has made. I now regret giving a question to the Associated Press.
