{"id":2396370,"date":"2025-01-29T06:13:02","date_gmt":"2025-01-29T11:13:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/how-karoline-leavitts-first-white-house-press-briefing-compares-to-predecessors-washington-examiner\/"},"modified":"2025-01-29T06:14:32","modified_gmt":"2025-01-29T11:14:32","slug":"how-karoline-leavitts-first-white-house-press-briefing-compares-to-predecessors-washington-examiner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/how-karoline-leavitts-first-white-house-press-briefing-compares-to-predecessors-washington-examiner\/","title":{"rendered":"How Karoline Leavitt\u2019s first White House press briefing compares to predecessors &#8211; Washington Examiner"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">28<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fhow-karoline-leavitts-first-white-house-press-briefing-compares-to-predecessors-washington-examiner%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2396370&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The article discusses Karoline leavitt&#8217;s first \u200dpress briefing as White House press secretary, where she demonstrated confidence by engaging with the media for 45 minutes without frequently consulting her \u2064notes. She emphasized a commitment to addressing all media outlets, <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\">highlighting dwindling \u200dpublic trust<\/a> in mainstream media.\u200b During the briefing, she\u2063 faced questions regarding President Trump&#8217;s actions, maintaining the defense that the governance&#8217;s policies were lawful and in voters&#8217; interests. \u200d <\/p>\n<p>Leavitt&#8217;s approach diverges from\u2062 her predecessors, notably Sean Spicer, Jen \u2063Psaki, and Karine Jean-Pierre, whose\u200c first\u200b briefings were marked by\u2062 various challenges\u2062 and controversies. Spicer&#8217;s debut turned\u200b contentious over claims about audience size at Trump\u2019s inauguration,\u2062 while Psaki responded to the \u200dJanuary 6 Capitol riot with transparency promises. Jean-Pierre faced \u2062difficult media\u2063 interactions, especially regarding race. Leavitt,at 27,is the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/karoline-leavitt-shakes-up-press-briefing-room-in-podium-debut\/\" title=\"Karoline Leavitt shakes up press briefing room in podium debut\">youngest press secretary<\/a>,illustrating a shift \u200din \u200bthe role&#8217;s portrayal,as she aims to become known\u2062 for effectively representing the Trump \u2063administration.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">How Karoline Leavitt&rsquo;s first White House press briefing compares to predecessors<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_1958429\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>White House press secretary <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/karoline-leavitt\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"Karoline Leavitt\">Karoline Leavitt<\/a> wasted little time establishing herself in the position, rarely looking at her notes as she sparred with <a href=\"https:\/\/washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/media\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"media\">media<\/a> members for 45 minutes during her first news briefing on Tuesday.<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>&ldquo;The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/trump-administration\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"Trump White House\">Trump White House<\/a> will speak to all media outlets and personalities, not just the legacy media who are seated in this room,&rdquo; Leavitt said during her opening announcements. &ldquo;Because according to recent polling from Gallup, Americans&rsquo; trust in mass media has fallen to a record low.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>The first question of the briefing went to <em>Axios <\/em>co-founder Mike Allen, who was seated in the &ldquo;new media seat,&rdquo; even though Allen was <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/natalie_allison\/status\/1884307533571187060\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"quoted\">quoted<\/a> two weeks ago as telling his reporters never to attend White House press briefings.<\/p>\n<p>Leavitt promised to provide more space for podcasters, bloggers, and social media influencers, though she then proceeded to call on reporters from a fairly routine group of news outlets, including CNN, NBC, ABC, CBS, and Fox News, along with the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em> and others.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;We know for a fact that there have been lies that have been pushed by many legacy media outlets in this country about this president, about his family, and we will not accept that,&rdquo; Leavitt said when asked how she views the role of press secretary. &ldquo;We will call you out when we feel that your reporting is wrong or there is misinformation about this White House.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>While she fielded plenty of questions, including over President Donald Trump&rsquo;s federal grant <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/3302639\/trump-democratic-backlash-blitzkrieg-federal-grant-freeze\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"funding pause\">funding pause<\/a> and his aggressive <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/immigration\/3302379\/the-view-host-deportation-criminal-illegal-immigrants-disturbing\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"deportation efforts\">deportation efforts<\/a>, Leavitt held her own as she argued that the administration was acting within the law and in the best interests of voters.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;America is back,&rdquo; she said toward the end. <\/p>\n<p>Here is how some of Leavitt&rsquo;s recent predecessors fared in their first briefings.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Sean Spicer, Jan. 23, 2017<\/h2>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">White House press secretary Sean Spicer jokes with the media during the daily press briefing at the White House in Washington on Tuesday, March 21, 2017. (AP Photo\/Andrew Harnik)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The first briefing of the first Trump administration took place three days after his inauguration and, as such, was dominated by questions about the event.<\/p>\n<p>Sean Spicer, Trump&rsquo;s first press secretary, asserted that the largest audience in history had watched Trump&rsquo;s inauguration &mdash; if television and online viewership were added to the in-person audience.<\/p>\n<p>That led to a number of semantics arguments with reporters about what exactly Spicer was and was not claiming. When pressed on the statements by CNN&rsquo;s Jim Acosta, Spicer unleashed some of his frustrations.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;There is this constant theme to undercut the enormous support that [Trump] has,&rdquo; Spicer said. &ldquo;And I think that it&rsquo;s just unbelievably frustrating when you&rsquo;re continually told it&rsquo;s not big enough, it&rsquo;s not good enough, you can&rsquo;t win. &hellip; There&rsquo;s this constant attempt to undermine his credibility and the movement that he represents.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;The default narrative is always negative,&rdquo; Spicer said. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve never seen it like this.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Like Leavitt, Spicer began his first briefing with a lengthy opening statement, though his briefing ran much longer than hers, lasting almost an hour and 20 minutes. <\/p>\n<p>He also attempted his own shake-up of the press briefing room, saying that four &ldquo;Skype seats&rdquo; would be reserved for reporters who don&rsquo;t live in the Washington, D.C., area. That concept was gradually phased out over the next few years.<\/p>\n<p>Spicer made waves by sending his <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/225942\/spicer-skips-over-mainstream-media-in-first-briefing\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"first question\">first question<\/a> to the <em>New York Post<\/em>, a right-leaning tabloid that&rsquo;s part of the Murdoch empire, rather than to a more conventional outlet such as the <em>New York Times <\/em>or the <em>Associated Press. <\/em><\/p>\n<p>The media also came under fire during Spicer&rsquo;s first briefing, namely for a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.snopes.com\/fact-check\/mlk-bust-oval-office\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"false report\">false report<\/a> that Trump had removed a bust of Martin Luther King Jr. from the Oval Office.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Where was the apology to the president of the United States?&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Where was the apology to millions of people who read that and thought how racially insensitive that was? Where was that apology?&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>But Spicer never really recovered from that initial grilling and was lampooned by Melissa McCarthy on <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=UWuc18xISwI\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"Saturday Night Live\">Saturday Night Live<\/a>.<\/em> He was replaced after just six months by Sarah Huckabee Sanders, who was followed by Stephanie Grisham,&nbsp;who never held a press briefing,&nbsp;and then Kayleigh McEnany, the final press secretary of Trump&rsquo;s first term. Spicer <a href=\"https:\/\/people.com\/politics\/sean-spicer-screwed-up-white-house-press-secretary\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"admitted in 2018\">admitted in 2018<\/a> that he &ldquo;screwed up&rdquo; at times, citing the inauguration briefing &ldquo;first and foremost.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Spicer pledged to be truthful in his position but stressed that it was a &ldquo;two-way street&rdquo; and that the press had a role in reporting accurately. Eight years later, little has changed in the relationship between the Trump administration and the media.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Jen Psaki, Jan. 20, 2021<\/h2>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">White House press secretary Jen Psaki speaks during a press briefing at the White House on Thursday, March 11, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo\/Andrew Harnik)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The Biden White House wasted no time with news briefings, holding one on the same day President Joe Biden was inaugurated. However, it lasted just half an hour, was limited in access by pandemic protocols, and started an administration in which the president was <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/in_focus\/3151729\/shrinking-presidency-joe-biden-kamala-harris\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"cordoned off\">cordoned off<\/a> from the press.<\/p>\n<p>Psaki lambasted Trump over the then-recent Jan. 6 Capitol riot and announced a &ldquo;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/biden-has-signed-40-executive-orders-and-actions-since-taking-office\/\" title=\"Biden has signed 40 executive orders and actions since taking office\">100-day masking challenge<\/a>,&rdquo; which included mask mandates inside federal buildings and land and on public transportation, including airplanes.<\/p>\n<p>The pandemic was the dominant topic, and Psaki did not deny a report that $500,000 had been spent deep cleaning the White House before Biden&rsquo;s team entered it. <\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;If the president were standing here with me today, he would say he works for the American people,&rdquo; Psaki said. &ldquo;I work for him, so I also work for the American people. But his objective and his commitment is to bring transparency and truth back to government, to share the truth even when it&rsquo;s hard to hear, and that&rsquo;s something that I hope to deliver on in this role as well.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Karine Jean-Pierre, May 16, 2022<\/h2>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre speaks during the daily briefing at the White House in Washington on Tuesday, May 31, 2022. (AP Photo\/Susan Walsh)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>While Trump churned through four press secretaries during his first administration &mdash;&nbsp;only Sanders held the job for more than a year &mdash; Biden had just two.<\/p>\n<p>Psaki left for a gig with MSNBC in May 2022, to be replaced by Karine Jean-Pierre, who held the gig through the end of Biden&rsquo;s single term. <\/p>\n<p>Jean-Pierre made her big debut on May 16, 2022, a day when the news cycle was dominated by a mass shooting in Buffalo that left 10 people dead. However, she also took some time to reflect on her historic role as press secretary.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I am obviously acutely aware that my presence at this podium represents a few firsts,&rdquo; Jean-Pierre said. &ldquo;I am a black, gay, immigrant woman, the first of all three of those to hold this position. I would not be here today if it were not for generations of barrier-breaking people before me. I stand on their shoulders.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Prompted by the shooting, in which all of the victims were black and there were reports that the shooter was motivated by white supremacy, Jean-Pierre was asked about the so-called great replacement theory. <\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;We&rsquo;re going to continue to call this out,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;As we have talked about many times, the president, every chance he&rsquo;s had, when we&rsquo;ve seen a violent attack like this, with hatred and racially motivated, he calls it out and calls it what it is.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>However, some reporters in the room questioned why Jean-Pierre wasn&rsquo;t going even further in calling out racism, and she went on to have a fairly contentious relationship with the media. Jean-Pierre also had the unenviable task of defending Biden as he publicly declined and dropped out of his own reelection bid, leading to more than one <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/3255758\/karine-jean-pierre-top-10-tussles-reporters-2024\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"awkward moment\">awkward moment<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Leavitt can claim a first of her own &mdash; at age 27, she is the youngest White House press secretary in history &mdash;&nbsp;though she hopes to become better known for her ability to speak for and defend the Trump administration.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;All of you, once again, have access to the most transparent and accessible president in American history,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;There has never been a president who communicates with the American people and the American press corps as openly and authentically as the 45th and now 47th president of the United States.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p> <script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(\"has-featured-video\",\"true\")})}();<\/script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({\"div\":\"Brid_1958429\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"video\":\"1958429\"}});<\/script><script defer src=\"https:\/\/services.brid.tv\/player\/build\/brid.min.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Karoline Leavitt&#8217;s first press briefing showcased her confidence and engagement with the media<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2635,"featured_media":2396371,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Karoline-Leavitt-press-briefing.webp","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[32435,49401,33017,32076,49336],"class_list":["post-2396370","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-karoline-leavitt","tag-media-comparison","tag-political-analysis","tag-washington-examiner","tag-white-house-press-briefing"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Karoline-Leavitt-press-briefing.webp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2396370","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2635"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2396370"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2396370\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2396374,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2396370\/revisions\/2396374"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2396371"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2396370"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2396370"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2396370"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}