White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt Posts a Screenshot of Her Conversation With Reporter, Igniting Buzz

An eyebrow-raising message from the White House press secretary has sent social media into a frenzy, after she publicly shared a sharp and unexpected exchange with a political reporter.

On October 20, 2025, Karoline Leavitt posted a screenshot on X of a private SMS thread between herself and HuffPost correspondent S. V. Dáte, which had been mentioned days earlier in one of his articles.

A netizen's comment about Karoline Leavitt's response to S.V. Dáte's question, dated October 21, 2025 | Source: Instagram/foxnews

The exchange, which stemmed from a question about U.S.-Russia diplomacy, caused an uproar online as Leavitt responded with a line more often heard on a schoolyard than from behind the White House podium.

The conversation reportedly took place on October 16, when Dáte reached out via text to ask why the White House had selected Budapest as the location for a potential Ukraine ceasefire meeting between President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The question wasn't random. It referenced the 1994 Budapest Memorandum, in which Ukraine surrendered its Soviet-era nuclear arsenal in exchange for assurances from Russia, the U.S., and the U.K. that its territorial sovereignty would be respected.

Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014 and its full-scale invasion in 2022 make Budapest a controversial choice.

U.S. President Bill Clinton, Russian President Boris Yeltsin, and Ukrainian President Leonid Kravchuk after signing the Trilateral Statement in the context of the Budapest Memorandum in Moscow on January 14, 1994 | Source: Getty Images

Per the screenshot, Leavitt’s reply to Dáte’s inquiry — "Who suggested Budapest?" — was brief and loaded:

"Your mom did."

When Dáte pressed further, asking if she was attempting humor, Leavitt responded by calling out his journalistic integrity and instructed him not to text her again with his "biased" inquiries. On her X post, Leavitt also added a caption further putting into question the reporter's professional motives.

This conversation had been revealed days earlier, on October 17. Dáte had published a HuffPost article that detailed his questions, the answers, and the surrounding context without providing the screenshot.

He also allegedly received a similar response from White House Communications Director Steven Cheung. Therefore, Dáte ended the report with:

"HuffPost is devastated, and is fearful of asking any more questions, let alone escalating with 'I’m rubber, you’re glue,' or some such."

Leavitt's bold reply drew immediate reaction. Many found it refreshing, even hilarious. One person on X wrote, "SAVAGE!!! 😂" Another added, "Savage!! Love this!!"

"I was hoping there was a video of this, but I guess it was just a text. Sigh. Still hilarious, thanks for sharing!" someone commented. "I’m just thankful that I’m not the only one still using mom jokes!! That was epic!!!" another chimed in.

Some saw Karoline Leavitt's tone as a welcome shift from the usual dry press briefings. "My gosh Karoline, you really know how to answer, I love your style!" one person posted on X. Another fan added on Facebook, "I like her!! lol she definitely doesn’t hold back [sic]."

But others were less amused. One commenter pointed out, "That exchange got pretty heated — definitely not the kind of tone you expect from the White House. It shows how tense things have become between the press and the administration."

This isn't the first time that Leavitt has attracted online attention. As previously reported, Margo Martin, a senior Trump aide, gave a glimpse of working life in the White House by posting a photo of the press secretary with her son. Fans reacted with admiration and criticism after the behind-the-scenes moment surfaced online.

A fan's reaction to Karoline Leavitt working while taking care of her baby, from a post dated May 11, 2025 | Source: Facebook/FoxNews

Martin shared the photo on X, offering a rare peek inside the press secretary's office. The image captured Leavitt multitasking, tending to her son, Nicholas "Niko" Robert Riccio, while continuing her official duties.

"Walked into @PressSec typing with one hand, and feeding her son with the other 💙. Super Mom!" Martin captioned the post.

The snapshot also revealed the understated setup of Leavitt's office. On display were a few personal touches, including photographs pinned to a board and a picture of her with President Donald Trump perched on a radiator next to her chair.

Nicholas Robert Riccio and Karoline Leavitt, from a post dated April 30, 2025 | Source: Instagram/karolineleavitt

A printed meme also caught viewers' attention. It showed a man refusing a brain on a platter with the caption, "No thanks... I won't be needing that. I believe everything the legacy media shows."

Additional images included what appeared to be a group photo of Trump's senior team, and another showing Leavitt and baby Niko enjoying a day at the beach. The photo quickly became a lightning rod for debate, with some accusing Leavitt of using her child for attention.

One critic remarked, "Nice, using your kid as a photo op." Another person echoed that sentiment, "The person taking the picture is taking care of the baby. This is just a photo op." Skepticism continued as someone speculated, "Staged for the camera? Nothing special here to see 😏."

A short but cutting comment read, "Poor baby." Others took issue with the baby's presence in a professional setting, asking, "Why is her baby at work???? No other mothers can do that."

But not all the reactions were negative. One commenter pushed back, writing, "The amount of people in here attacking her is baffling. I don't understand it's so hard for people to believe it possible to multitask while holding a baby [sic]."

Another person offered heartfelt support drawn from personal experience, "Been there. Done that. With twins! You go girl and everyone out there juggling, struggle and loving. Toughest job you will ever love. ❤️🙌😍." Finally, one netizen kept it simple, noting, "And she is doing an awesome job."

Karoline Leavitt shares her son with her husband, Nicholas Riccio. She has taken Niko to several work-related engagements, making scenes like this a familiar and controversial part of her public life.