Press Secretary Leavitt Clashes With Reporter Over Trump-Putin Talks

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt found herself in a public disagreement with HuffPost journalist S.V. Dáte concerning the upcoming meeting between former President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. The dispute arose when Dáte sought information about the decision-making process behind the summit’s venue. Leavitt responded to the reporter’s text query with the phrase, ‘Your mom did.’ She subsequently took to X to share the exchange, labeling Dáte a ‘left-wing hack’ and accusing him of biased reporting against President Trump. Leavitt argued that the reporter consistently promotes anti-Trump narratives and uses his platform as a ‘personal diary’ against the former president, thus undermining the journalistic profession. The summit itself is anticipated to occur in Budapest in the near future, with details still being finalized. Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has stated he would attend if invited, either for a direct meeting with both leaders or in a diplomatic shuttle format, while also expressing unease about Hungary’s close ties to Moscow.