Trump Criticizes White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt's Performance

The former president suggested Leavitt is 'doing a terrible job' representing him to the media.

Apr. 1, 2026 at 2:48am

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Former President Donald Trump criticized White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt's performance during a press conference, suggesting she is 'doing a terrible job' as his representative to the media. Trump complained about the negative coverage he received during his 2024 presidential campaign, which he said was around 93-97% bad publicity, and implied that Leavitt was responsible for the poor media portrayal.

Why it matters

Trump's criticism of Leavitt's job performance highlights the ongoing tensions between the former president and the media, as well as the challenges facing White House press secretaries in navigating their relationship with the press. This incident also reflects the broader political dynamics around media coverage and perceptions of bias.

The details

During a press conference in the Oval Office, Trump complained about the state of the media and the negative coverage he received during his 2024 presidential campaign. He stated that he received '93% bad publicity' and suggested that Leavitt, the White House press secretary, was 'doing a poor job' as his representative to the media. Trump then asked the press corps whether they should 'keep her', implying that he was considering replacing Leavitt.

  • The press conference took place on Tuesday, March 31, 2026.

The players

Donald Trump

The former president of the United States who criticized the performance of the current White House press secretary.

Karoline Leavitt

The current White House press secretary who was criticized by former President Trump for her handling of media relations.

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What they’re saying

“Maybe Karoline is doing a poor job, I don't know. She's my representative. You're doing a terrible job. Should we keep her? I think we'll keep her.”

— Donald Trump, Former President

The takeaway

This incident highlights the ongoing tensions between the former president and the media, as well as the challenges facing White House press secretaries in navigating their relationship with the press. It also reflects the broader political dynamics around media coverage and perceptions of bias.