Karoline Leavitt tore into a New York Times journalist for comparing Donald Trump to Russian President Vladimir Putin. On Tuesday, the White House press secretary had a heated exchange with Peter Baker, a former Moscow correspondent, after he compared the administration's decision to seize control of the press pool to the Kremlin's strategies.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt brutally slams NYT reporter
“Having served as a Moscow correspondent in the early days of Putin's reign, this reminds me of how the Kremlin took over its own press pool and made sure that only compliant journalists were given access,” Barker wrote on X. In continuation of his tweet, the journalist went on to claim that the “message is clear.”
Barker went on, “Given that the White House has already kicked one news organization out of the pool because of coverage it does not like, it is making certain everyone else knows that the rest of us can be barred too if the president does not like our questions or stories.”
Leavitt quickly shot down Barker's claim, telling him, “Give me a break, Peter.” “Moments after you tweeted this, the President invited journalists into the Oval and took questions for nearly an hour,” she went on.
The White House press secretary continued to slam the reporter, saying, “Your hysterical reaction to our long overdue and much needed change to an outdated organization is precisely why we made it.”
{{/usCountry}}The White House press secretary continued to slam the reporter, saying, “Your hysterical reaction to our long overdue and much needed change to an outdated organization is precisely why we made it.”
{{/usCountry}}“Gone are the days where left-wing stenographers posing as journalists, such as yourself, dictate who gets to ask what,” Leavitt added.
The exchange came after Leavitt announced the Trump administration's move to take charge of deciding the pool of reporters who would be allowed to interview the president.
“Moving forward, the ‘White House Press Pool’ will be determined by the White House Press Team,” she said on Tuesday, New York Post reported.