White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt pushed back against Associated Press reporter Josh Boak, accusing him of failing to understand President Donald Trump’s economic strategy.
The exchange, which first unfolded during a press briefing last week, was revisited during Leavitt’s appearance on Sunday Morning Futures with Maria Bartiromo.
During her Sunday interview, Leavitt responded to Boak’s criticism of Trump’s economic policies, particularly tariffs.
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“He [Boak] clearly fails to see President Trump’s long-term economic strategy, which is to bring in so much revenue, so much wealth into our country through tariffs, that we can give larger tax cuts to the American people to put more money back into their pockets,” Leavitt told Bartiromo.
Her remarks followed a heated exchange between her and Boak at a White House press briefing on Tuesday.
The back-and-forth stemmed from questions about Trump’s scheduled address at the Business Roundtable (BRT) quarterly meeting.
Boak referenced Trump’s past statements on tax cuts, arguing that tariffs amount to “tax hikes” and questioning why Trump was prioritizing tariffs over direct tax reductions.
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Boak pressed Leavitt during the briefing, asking, “I’m curious why he is prioritizing that over tax cuts.”
Leavitt pushed back against the claim, emphasizing Trump’s stance on tariffs.
“He is actually not implementing tax hikes,” she responded.
“Tariffs are a tax hike on foreign countries that, again, have been ripping us off. Tariffs are a tax cut for the American people, and the president is a staunch advocate of tax cuts.”
The exchange escalated when Boak challenged Leavitt’s framing of tariffs, arguing that importers—not foreign companies—ultimately bear the cost.
“I’m sorry, have you paid a tariff? Because I have,” Boak said.
Leavitt did not hold back in her response, calling it “insulting” for Boak to question her understanding of economics and Trump’s economic decisions.
On Sunday, Leavitt revisited the exchange, expanding her criticism beyond Boak to the mainstream media as a whole.
She argued that many journalists prioritize sensationalism over substantive reporting.
“That’s why the trust in the mainstream media has fallen to record lows, and that’s why, at the White House, we are very proud of the changes that we have made to the briefing room and also to the press coverage of this president, welcoming in independent voices and new media who truly care about the truth, honesty and accuracy,” Leavitt said.
The clash between the White House and legacy media outlets continues to be a recurring theme in Trump’s administration, with officials frequently calling out perceived media bias.
While Leavitt reaffirmed the administration’s commitment to economic policies aimed at benefiting American workers, the debate over tariffs and tax policy is expected to remain a focal point in the weeks ahead.
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