Media Bias Alert: 'Bulls*** Questions' or 'Childish Responses'?

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt and Communications Director Steven Cheung’s texts with HuffPost (Left bias) correspondent S.V. Date drew split media coverage.

Text Messages: Leavitt shared a screenshot of the texts on X, saying Date “is not a journalist interested in the facts,” but rather “is a left-wing hack who has consistently attacked President Trump for years and constantly bombards my phone with Democrat talking points.” Date, during the text correspondence, said, “Is the president aware of the significance of Budapest? In 1994, Russia promised, in Budapest, not to invade Ukraine if it gave up the nuclear weapons it inherited when the Soviet Union dissolved. Does he not see why Ukraine might object to that site? Who suggested Budapest? Thanks.” Leavitt responded by saying, “Your mom did,” leading Date to ask, “Is this funny to you?” Leavitt said, “It’s funny to me that you actually call yourself a journal. You are a far left hack who nobody takes seriously, including your colleagues in the media, they just don’t tell you that to your face. Stop texting me your disingenuous, biased, and bulls*** questions.”

Media Response: HuffPost highlighted the fact that Leavitt never answered Date’s question, choosing only to provide “her childish response.” The outlet said Leavitt’s screenshot of the texts she shared on X backfired, while also noting she refused to respond to further HuffPost queries regarding “Trump’s reported pushing of Putin’s talking points” during a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday. The New York Post (Lean Right), on the other hand, said “Leavitt slams lefty reporter’s ‘bulls-t’ questions in fiery text response.”  The article noted that “Other Trump administration officials now appear to be channeling Leavitt,” referencing a HuffPost article headlined “Top Pentagon Spokesman Jumps Into The ‘Your Mom’ Childish Response Game.” According to the referenced article, HuffPost asked about a red, white, and blue tie worn by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, claiming it resembled the Russian flag, and Pentagon Spokesman Sean Parnell replied in a statement, “Your mom bought it for him—and it’s a patriotic American tie, moron.”    

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