Karoline Leavitt full: Trump aide defends president over ‘punishable by death’ remark | White House

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, joined by Secretary of Education Linda McMahon, briefed reporters on November 20, 2025, covering a range of hot-button topics. They announced new steps to devolve the Department of Education’s functions to states and other federal agencies, citing stagnant achievement scores and bureaucratic waste. Leavitt touted strong job growth, falling inflation, and record tax refunds as proof of the Trump administration’s economic agenda, and pointed out that Thanksgiving travel and dinner costs are down this year. On foreign affairs, she fielded questions on the administration’s strategy to combat cartels in Mexico and Venezuela, the ongoing Ukraine peace plan talks (with special envoy Whitkoff engaged equally with both Moscow and Kyiv), and clarified White House positions on controversies from DEI policies to federal financial regulator appointments. The briefing addressed press freedom issues in Mexico, the administration’s stance on rebellious members of Congress, and outlined the White House’s approach to global diplomacy, media relations, and law-and-order priorities with sharp responses to the assembled press.