In a bold move that’s sparking massive debate, 28-year-old White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt shared a screenshot of her private texts with HuffPost correspondent S.V. Dáte on October 20. When he asked who suggested Budapest for President Trump’s meeting with Putin, she fired back, ‘Your mom did.’ She escalated, slamming him as a ‘far left hack’ bombarding her with biased questions.
The exchange began last week when Dáte probed if Trump knew Budapest’s historical weight, tying it to Russia’s past promises on Ukraine’s nukes. Leavitt, fed up, went public on X, labeling Dáte an ‘anti-Trump’ activist masquerading as a journalist.
‘It’s funny to me that you actually consider yourself a journal ,’ Leavitt texted. ‘You are a far left hack who nobody takes seriously… Stop texting me your disingenuous, biased, and bulls— questions.’
The post exploded online, with Reddit threads buzzing—some cheering her no-nonsense attitude, others slamming it as childish. Dáte hit back on CNN, defending his fact-based reporting and calling out the playground taunt.
As media wars heat up, Leavitt’s viral retort raises questions: Is this raw honesty or a dangerous precedent for press access? In Trump’s world, expect more fireworks—does it empower or erode trust?