Donald Trump‘s press secretary on Friday defended the president’s use of an expletive during a briefing on Washington air tragedy, explaining that it was one of the ways in which he connected with ordinary Americans.
And Karoline Leavitt used her position on the podium to mock the White House press corps to its face.
Her appearance in the briefing provided yet another reminder of how the seat of American power has been transformed in two short weeks.
A day earlier, Trump delivered an update on the air crash, railing against the previous administration and its transportation secretary, Pete Buttigieg, as a ‘disaster’ with ‘a good line of bulls***.’
Leavitt was asked whether this was part of a deliberate communications strategy.
‘I think one of the things that the American people love most about this president is that he often says what they are thinking, but sometimes lack the courage to say themselves,’ she said,
‘And I think yesterday at this podium, you heard President Trump express great frustration, perhaps even anger, with the previous administration’s policies, many of which have led to the crises that our country is currently facing and that this president is focused on fixing.’
Buttigieg had blasted the president, saying he should be ‘leading, not lying,’ after his wild briefing room appearance.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt gave her second briefing of the week on Friday
She defended the president’s use of an expletive a day earlier, and said he was giving voice to ordinary Americans and to his own frustrations about the state of the country
This administration is opening up the briefing room to non-conventional media organizations, including podcasters and rightwing social media stars.
Leavitt said she had received 10,000 submissions for four seats at the side of the briefing room, usually reserved for White House staff.
Friday’s occupant was John Ashbrook, co-host of the Ruthless podcast. He served up a softball, asking whether the media was out of touch with ordinary Americans and their views on deportations.
‘Out of touch?’ she asked with a raised eyebrow, before listing exactly how out of touch they were complete with reference to opinion polls showing a majority of Americans in support of deportations.
Worse was to come, when she was asked about the CIA recently concluding that the most likely explanation was that it leaked from a Chinese lab.
She claimed that he was roundly mocked in the briefing room by journalists.
‘Said he was spewing conspiracy theories. He was not,’ she continued, warming to her theme.
‘We now know that to be the confirmable truth.
Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said Donald Trump should ‘be leading, not lying’ as he blasted president
‘It took many years for it to come out, but the president was right in this instance, again.’
Leavitt also used her appearance to defend the president’s comments that diversity hires had an impact on air safety.
But there were more conventional announcements from the podium.
Leavitt confirmed that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would have a ‘working meeting’ at the White House on Tuesday.
And she revealed that the president was ready to go ahead with plans to impose 25 percent tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico and 10 percent tariffs on goods from China effective on Saturday, the White House said.
