White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt faced accusations of hypocrisy on Thursday after declaring that “hatred has no place in the United States of America under President Donald Trump.”
Leavitt’s assertion ― during a press briefing in which she addressed the fatal shooting of two Israeli Embassy workers in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday ― prompted critics to point out Trump’s yearslong history of incendiary rhetoric.
In the last week alone, Trump has used his Truth Social platform to whip up anger against federal judges, attack rock star Bruce Springsteen (including with a spoof video in which the president appears to strike the musician with a golf ball) and slam Beyonce, U2 frontman Bono and TV legend Oprah Winfrey.
Trump has also flipped out at a reporter.
Many critics, therefore, suggested Leavitt pass her comment on to the president. Others recalled Trump’s online post in which he literally expressed his hatred for another pop star when he declared, “I hate Taylor Swift.”
Also in the briefing, Leavitt was pressed on whether the guest list to a dinner that Trump was hosting for people who bought his Trump-themed crypto coins would be made public.
“The president is attending it in his personal time,” Leavitt said. “It is not a White House dinner, it’s not taking place here at the White House. But certainly I can raise that question and try to get you an answer for it.”
Critics questioned the notion of “personal time” for a sitting president, and more:
Related…
