From '$50m Condoms in Gaza' to 'Your Mom': Karoline Leavitt's Most Controversial Press-Office Moments

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt announced she will resign at the end of August to spend more time with her family after roughly 18 months on the job. The 28-year-old — the youngest person to hold the role — leaves a tenure that President Trump called “one of my most trusted aides,” but that critics and reporters often described as combative and polarizing.

While some commentators joked about rumors surrounding the timing of her departure, the administration’s official explanation cites family reasons: Leavitt wrote on social media that, since the birth of her second child, she realized she “cannot be the best mom” while devoting the “constant time, energy, and attention” the role requires.

A Polarizing Figure

Leavitt’s time at the podium combined fierce advocacy for the president with frequent clashes with journalists and critics. Supporters praised her loyalty and energy; opponents criticized her for spreading unverified claims, using hostile language toward reporters, and reshaping White House press access. Below are five of the most contentious episodes from her tenure.

1. The "Condoms in Gaza" Claim

At her first official briefing, Leavitt said the administration had stopped what she described as a plan to use taxpayer funds to "fund condoms in Gaza," claiming the Office of Management and Budget and other officials had identified about $50 million earmarked for that purpose. The allegation drew widespread skepticism: aid experts and U.S. global-health specialists said there was no evidence of such a planned federal purchase and called the claim baffling.

2. Tariffs, The Associated Press And Press Corps Changes

In March 2025, an exchange with an AP reporter about tariffs illustrated Leavitt’s combative briefings and occasional factual disputes. When the reporter argued tariffs function as taxes on importers, Leavitt disputed that characterization and called the question "insulting," later saying she regretted taking a question from The Associated Press. That confrontation occurred amid a separate spat in which the administration temporarily restricted AP’s access over its use of the name "Gulf of Mexico" rather than a suggested alternative. Leavitt defended tighter control over access while also expanding the permanent press corps to include sympathetic podcasters and allied personalities, a move critics called the injection of propagandists into official channels.

3. The Viral "Your Mom" Text

Leavitt went viral after posting a screenshot of a text exchange with HuffPost correspondent S.V. Dáte. When Dáte questioned the choice of Budapest as a meeting site for President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin — noting Budapest’s 1994 role in nuclear-security diplomacy — Leavitt replied, "Your mom did." She then called the reporter a "far-left hack" and accused him of bias. The exchange was widely mocked as juvenile and highlighted her willingness to answer reporters with personal insults rather than engagement.

4. Epstein Questions And A Briefing Walk-Off

Leavitt dismissed what she called the "Epstein files" as a "hoax being perpetuated by opportunistic Democrats," while also stating that Trump had known Jeffrey Epstein in Palm Beach and had removed him from Mar-a-Lago. When pressed in February about Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick’s past association with Epstein, Leavitt defended Lutnick as "a very important member of President Trump's team," pivoted to recent market results, and abruptly ended the briefing, leaving the podium to the bafflement of the press pool.

5. Clash Over ICE and Accusations of Bias

In January 2026, during questions about a fatal shooting involving an ICE agent, Leavitt sparred with The Hill’s Niall Stanage. After Stanage cited statistics about deaths in ICE custody and attributed the killing of Renee Nicole Good to reckless conduct by an ICE agent, Leavitt repeatedly called him a "leftwing hack" and accused him of posing as a journalist. Observers saw the exchange as deflective and emblematic of her combative approach to accountability-focused questions.

Legacy And Departure

Leavitt’s departure prompted mixed reactions: disappointment among Trump’s base, who valued a vigorous defender at the podium, and relief among critics who viewed her style as corrosive to press norms. Her tenure highlighted tensions over truth, access, and decorum in White House press relations. As of this writing, the White House has not named her successor.