White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt on Monday lashed out at a Huffington Post reporter, calling him a “left-wing hack” after he questioned her about President Donald Trump’s upcoming meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss ending the war in Ukraine.
The exchange spiraled when SV Dte, a veteran political reporter known for his critical coverage of Trump, texted Leavitt to ask who had chosen the location for the high-stakes summit, likely to take place in Budapest.
Leavitt shot back with a viral one-liner: “Your mom did.”
She later shared a screenshot of her reply on X, writing, “For context, SV Dte of the Huffington Post is not a journalist interested in the facts. He is a left-wing hack who has consistently attacked President Trump for years and constantly bombards my phone with Democrat talking points.”
“Just take a look at Date’s feed, it reads like an anti-Trump personal diary,” she added. “Activists who masquerade as real reporters do a disservice to the profession.”
The Trump White House has not confirmed the exact date or location for the planned Trump–Putin summit, but it will likely be held in Budapest within the next two weeks. Their last meeting, in Alaska on August 15, ended without progress after Putin reportedly rejected Trump’s push for an immediate ceasefire.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who met Trump in Washington last week, described their talks as “positive,” saying Ukraine is now preparing a contract for 25 Patriot air defence systems following the visit.
“After many rounds of discussion over more than two hours with (Trump) and his team, his message, in my view, is positive: that we stand where we stand on the front line,” Zelenskyy said.
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With inputs from agencies
