Watch Karoline Leavitt DEMOLISHES Ilhan Omar & Democrats Over Their Violence-Sparking Words
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00:00Thank you, Caroline. Are any officials here preparing to fight Democratic lawmakers in
00:05the streets?
00:06Absolutely not. And thanks for the question.
00:10Some elected Democrats are so steamed about Doge, Congresswoman LaMonica MacIver says
00:14we are at war. Ilhan Omar says we might actually see somebody get killed. And Chris Van Hollen
00:20says we have to fight this in the Congress, we have to fight this in the streets. So what
00:24now?
00:25And may I just point out, if you heard that type of violent, enticing rhetoric from our
00:30side of the aisle, from Republican leaders on Capitol Hill, I think there would be a
00:34lot more outrage in this room today. It's unacceptable, the comments that have been
00:38made by these Democrat leaders. And frankly, they don't even know what they're talking
00:41about.
00:42Because President Trump was elected with a mandate from the American people to make this
00:46government more efficient. He campaigned across this country with Elon Musk, vowing that Elon
00:52Musk is going to head up the Department of Government Efficiency, and the two of them,
00:55with a great team around them, were going to look at the receipts of this federal government
00:59and ensure it's accountable to American taxpayers. That's all that is happening here. And for
01:03Democrat officials to incite violence and encourage Americans to take to the streets
01:08is incredibly alarming, and they should be held accountable for that rhetoric.
01:11It sounds like something that they're most concerned about is Doge engineers with access
01:15to Treasury systems. Can you clarify, do the Doge engineers have read-only access to any
01:21systems? So they are not allowed to write new code?
01:23No.
01:24They are not? Okay.
01:25No.
01:26And then one more thing. NBC is reporting that some of the illegal immigrants that we've
01:28seen rounded up and arrested are not being deported. They're being released with ankle
01:35or wrist monitoring devices, or they have to check in on the phone. So is the administration
01:39arresting more people than you have room for?
01:42I have seen the reports, and I'm glad you brought it up because we want to address it.
01:46There have been a total of 461 illegal aliens. This is of this morning, when I got this information,
01:52from DHS, that have been released from custody of the more than 8,000 that have been arrested
01:57since President Trump was inaugurated. It's less than 6%, and there are reasons for their
02:01release. Some of the factors include a lack of significant likelihood of removal in the
02:05foreseeable future, lack of detention availability, which is something this president and this
02:10administration has been incredibly vocal about.
02:12We are doing everything we can to deport and detain illegal immigrants, but we need Congress's
02:17help to increase funding for border patrol and for ICE to increase detention capability
02:22in our facilities. And then other serious medical conditions have also been the reasons
02:26for some of the release of these individuals. But none of them have final deportation orders.
02:30Many of them are probably contesting their immigration status. I'd refer you to DHS for
02:34more details, but I did get that information because I knew it'd be a question. So thank
02:37you.
02:38Can I?
02:39Sure. Yes.
02:40The president and you here again today have made clear, given the devastation, you think
02:43Palestinians have no choice but to leave Gaza and go elsewhere. But Palestinians say
02:47this is their home. They don't want to go. The president last night said he's willing
02:50to use the military if necessary. Is the U.S. prepared to remove Palestinians from Gaza
02:55by force?
02:56The president is prepared to rebuild Gaza for Palestinians and all people in the region,
03:01peace-loving people who want real economic development and opportunity in the region.
03:06This is a region that has been controlled by Iranian-backed terrorists, Hamas, who have
03:10brutalized not just Israelis, but Palestinians too. It is because of Hamas that you see those
03:15images on that screen, that Gaza has become a demolition site because Hamas launched that
03:19brutal attack on Israel on October the 7th. And so again, I would stress, President Trump
03:24wants to ensure that this can be a place where all people can live in peace. He is a peacemaker
03:29in chief. He made that very clear in his first term. And as for how that will be accomplished,
03:34the president and his team are talking with our allies in the region to consider next
03:38steps.
03:39How can people be prepared to see U.S. military on the ground fighting a ground war against
03:43Hamas?
03:44Again, the president has not committed to U.S. troops in the region.
03:46But it is an option.
03:47I have said that the president has not committed to that yet. Garrett, great to see you here
03:51today.
03:53On Gaza, the president has spent basically his entire public career criticizing foreign
03:57entanglements, nation-building, sending American troops to fight abroad, particularly in the
04:02Middle East. This plan seems like it could ultimately involve all of those things. Can
04:07you explain this reversal and how building and owning Gaza squares with America First
04:12foreign policy?
04:13I would reject the premise of your question that this forces the United States to be entangled
04:18in conflicts abroad.
04:19The president has not committed to putting boots on the ground in Gaza. He has also said
04:23that the United States is not going to pay for the rebuilding of Gaza.
04:27His administration is going to work with our partners in the region to reconstruct this
04:31region.
04:32Let me just take a step back, Garrett, because this is an out-of-the-box idea. That's who
04:37President Trump is. That's why the American people elected him. And his goal is lasting
04:42peace in the Middle East for all people in the region.
04:46And as I said in my opening remarks, we have had the same people pushing the same solutions
04:50to this problem for decades. And it's been very — made very clear to the president
04:55that the United States needs to be involved in this rebuilding effort to ensure stability
05:00in the region for all people.
05:02That does not mean boots on the ground in Gaza. It does not mean American taxpayers
05:05will be funding this effort. It means Donald Trump, who is the best dealmaker on the planet,
05:09is going to strike a deal with our partners in the region.
05:11Can I follow up? Because he did not rule out American troops in Gaza last night. Are you
05:14doing that now?
05:15I am saying that the president has not committed to that just yet. He has not made that commitment,
05:19and you know that.
05:20And on the foreign partners, the Jordanians, the Egyptians, the Saudis have already panned
05:24this plan. What foreign partners, if any, have expressed any interest in being part
05:28of it?
05:29Well, the president has said he's been socialing this idea for quite some time. He's been thinking
05:32about this. He said in his remarks last night this was not a decision or an announcement
05:36that he takes lightly. And the president has already spoken to the president, al-Sisi.
05:40In fact, that was his first foreign leader call. He's meeting with the king of Jordan,
05:44King Abdullah, next week. He spoke with the king of Bahrain. He spoke with the crown prince
05:49of Saudi Arabia.
05:50And he has made it very clear — he's been very vocal — that he expects our partners
05:54in the region, particularly Egypt and Jordan, to accept Palestinian refugees temporarily
05:59so that we can rebuild their home.
06:00I'd like to show you some images of Gaza that were taken. Fox News aired this. I mean,
06:06that is, as they put it, an apocalyptic scene in Gaza. This is an uninhabitable place for
06:12human beings. Do you really think that families can live their dream in a region that looks
06:18like this, with no running water, no electricity?
06:21And the special envoy to the president, Steve Whitkoff, recently traveled to Gaza, as you
06:24all know. And he came back with images that he showed the president of the dire situation
06:29here.
06:30And the president made this decision with a humanitarian heart for all people in the
06:34region.
06:35Dasha.
06:36Caroline, you said the president has been working on this idea for a while behind the
06:39scenes now. Is there a written plan based on the president's proposal for Gaza? And
06:43if so, when was it drafted? And who had a hand in that?
06:46The plan was written in the president's remarks last night, as he revealed it to the
06:50world and to the American people. And his team are continuing to be engaged on this
06:54effort.
06:55I saw the national security adviser this morning. He has a very busy day of calls. And they
06:58will, again, continue to engage with our partners. That includes Steve Whitkoff as
07:01well.
07:02Mary.
07:03Two questions for you on the news of the day. So how is today's executive order going
07:07to impact the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles? For example, would a man who thinks
07:12that he's a transgender woman be allowed to compete as a female on U.S. soil?
07:17It's a very good question. And the president has actually mentioned this, that he does
07:21expect the Olympic Committee and the NCAA to no longer allow men to compete in women's
07:27sports.
07:29And the president, with the signing of his pen, starts a very public pressure campaign
07:32on these organizations to do the right thing for women and for girls across the country.
07:37Again, this is an incredibly popular position. There have been many notable female athletes
07:41who have had the courage to speak out against some very powerful institutions in this country.
07:46They deserve to have a voice and a say. The president is bringing their voice to the highest
07:49level at the White House this afternoon. And he expects these organizations to comply with
07:53this federal executive order that he'll be signing today.
07:56On media coverage of this executive order and the topic in general, what's the White
08:00House's view of framing that calls men transgender females or similar rhetoric coming from organizations
08:06like the ACLU and GLAAD?
08:08Well, it's been very clear. The policy of this administration is that there are only
08:12two sexes, male and female. Pretty simple.
08:16Brian Glenn.
08:17Yes. USAID has gotten a lot of attention the last couple of days with some of these bizarre
08:24things that we've been, taxpayers have been funding. Now it looks like there are a couple
08:29media outlets that have been dragged into this conversation as far as USAID funding
08:34as well. Does the president have any comment on that?
08:37So upon coming out here to the briefing room, I was made aware of the funding from USAID
08:44to media outlets, including Politico, who I know has a seat in this room. And I can
08:49confirm that the more than $8 million taxpayer dollars that have gone to essentially subsidizing
08:53subscriptions to Politico on the American taxpayer's dime will no longer be happening.
08:58The Doge team is working on canceling those payments now. Again, this is a whole of government
09:02effort to ensure that we are going line by line when it comes to the federal government's
09:07books and this president and his team are making decisions across the board on do these
09:14receipts serve the interests of the American people? Is this a good use of the American
09:18taxpayer's money? If it is not, that funding will no longer be sent abroad and American
09:23taxpayers will see significant savings because of that effort.
09:26Thank you. I'd like to give some love to the back row. I've heard that, unfortunately,
09:30they haven't been called on in years past. So, Reagan, why don't you go ahead?
09:34Thanks, Caroline. The WHA announced that comedian Amber Ruffin, who has called the president
09:39a toddler with his pants pulled down, will be the entertainment for this year's Correspondents
09:43Dinner. Does the White House have a reaction to this choice? And will the president be
09:46attending the dinner this year?
09:48Definitely an interesting choice. I have the president's invitation on my desk. I
09:52have the invitation for myself on my desk as well. I haven't talked to the president
09:55about it. When he makes his decision, I will let you all know. But definitely an interesting
10:00choice of the comedian. I'll talk to the boss about it and see what we decide.
10:03Sure. Go ahead.
10:04Caroline, in the back.
10:05Yes.
10:06On the executive order set to be signed today, you said that this will be enforced. Can you
10:07spell out for schools and the public how exactly the administration plans to enforce this,
10:08even at local levels? And on top of that, there are human rights groups who say that
10:09this could expose kids to discrimination. What is your response to that?
10:22I think kids have already been exposed to discrimination, especially young women and
10:26girls who have been forced to shower in locker rooms with biological men, who have been forced
10:31to compete on playing fields with biological men, which is incredibly unfair and unsafe
10:37and, again, an incredibly unpopular policy with the American people. As for the actions
10:42that this executive order takes, I already laid those out at the beginning of the briefing.
10:45I'm happy to give you a copy of this fact sheet so you can let your audiences across
10:48the country know.
10:49What's your message to schools who don't comply with this?
10:52They should, because it's going to be federal law in about an hour and a half. So your colleague
10:55to your right, to my left.
10:57Thanks, Caroline.
10:58Yes.
10:59Taylor with Spectrum News. You talked a bit about Doge. Elon Musk is currently a, quote,
11:02special government employee who also owns companies that have billions of dollars in
11:06federal contracts. You said earlier this week that he has abided by all applicable
11:10federal laws, but what steps is the Trump administration taking to address that conflict
11:14of interest?
11:15The president was already asked and answered this question this week, and he said if Elon
11:18Musk comes across a conflict of interest with the contracts and the funding that Doge is
11:22overseeing, then Elon will excuse himself from those contracts. And he has, again, abided
11:27by all applicable laws. In the back left, go ahead.
11:30Trade advisor Peter Navarro, when asked about the external revenue service today, said,
11:34quote, we're going to collect a lot of tariff revenues and we're going to get tax cuts
11:37out of it. Is it the official position of the White House that tariffs will lower taxes
11:42for Americans?
11:43The president has always been clear that he believes tariffs are a tax on foreign nations
11:47and he's committed to cutting taxes for the American people here at home. He also believes
11:51tariffs are a great revenue raiser for this country, and that's exactly why he has committed
11:55to the creation of the external revenue service, which I think is a phenomenal idea.