Would you rather have a president who is “frank and open” or “hides behind your back and doesn’t speak to you for weeks.” That was the choice White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt laid out at Thursday’s press briefing when she defended President Trump’s latest clash with the press where he allegedly said “Quiet, piggy” to Bloomberg Reporter Catherine Lucey.
“I think the president being frank, open and honest to your faces rather than hiding behind your backs is frankly a lot more respectful than what you saw from the past administration,” stated Leavitt. “You had a president who lied to your face and didn’t speak to you for weeks. He hid upstairs and didn’t take your questions. I think everyone in this room should appreciate the frankness and the openness that you get from President Trump on a near daily basis.”
Trump’s sharp tongue is well-known and Leavitt didn’t deny it. The president&#8217;s insults have extended even to his closest allies: he’s called current Secretary of State Marco Rubio “Little Marco,” his former press secretary Kayleigh McEnany &#8220;Kayleigh ‘Milktoast’ McEnany,&#8221; and former Vice President Mike Pence “Liddle Mike Pence,” and most recently, he called longtime supporter Marjorie Taylor Greene “Wacky Marjorie” and “Marjorie Traitor Greene.”
Reporters haven’t been spared either. He has dismissed journalists as “fake news,” called Megyn Kelly a “lightweight reporter,” and New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman “Maggot Haberman.”
Leavitt believes the president’s bluntness may be why he holds the nation’s highest office today.
“I think the president&#8217;s frankness is one of the reasons the American people reelected him,” said Leavitt.
“He calls out fake news when he sees it and gets frustrated with reporters when you lie about him and spread fake news about his administration, but he is also the most transparent president in history. He gives all of you unprecedented access. You are in the Oval Office almost every day asking the president questions.”
Trump’s &#8220;piggy&#8221; comment occurred when he was taking questions from reporters aboard Air Force One when Lucey asked, “Mr. President, what did Jeffrey Epstein mean in his email when you said you knew about ‘the girls?’&#8221;
Trump responded, “I know nothing about that. They would have announced that a long time ago. It’s really what did he mean when he spent all that time with Bill Clinton, with the President of Harvard Larry Summers, and all the other people he spent time with. Jeffrey Epstein and I had a very bad relationship for many years, but he also saw [inaudible] that I was president who he dictated a couple of memos to himself, give me a break. You’re going to find out what did he know with respect to Bill Clinton, with respect to the head of Harvard, with respect to all of those people who he knew, including JP Morgan Chase.”
On Wednesday, President Trump signed the bill to release the Epstein files. After he finished answering Lucey’s question, he said, “Yeah, Jennifer, go ahead” signaling to another reporter that it was her turn to ask a question.
Lucey interrupted the president by asking another question that started with, “If there’s nothing incriminating in the files…” Trump cut her off and said, “Quiet, quiet piggy” before turning back to the other reporter and telling her again to “go ahead.”

TOPSHOT-US-POLITICS-G7-SUMMIT-DIPLOMACY

White House Says Trump ‘Piggy’ Comment Shows His ‘Frankness And Openness’

Donald Trump

Karoline Leavitt

Media

Politics

White House

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt laid out the harm caused by the ‘Democrat Shutdown,’ now the longest shutdown in U.S. history, during her Press Briefing on Wednesday. 
“The Democrats dragged on the government shutdown for 43 days… damage caused by the Democrats by this reckless government shutdown cannot be forgotten,” said Leavitt during her press conference on Wednesday. 
Recently, both the Small Business Optimism Index and the Federal Reserve reported that the shutdown has already negatively impacted the economy. Millions of Americans are employed by the federal government, while millions more work as federal contractors, subcontractors, or for businesses that depend on federal contracts or funding.  
At the most recent Federal Reserve meeting, Fed Chair Jerome Powell said the negative economic effects should begin to reverse once the government reopens. 
During Wednesday’s press conference, Leavitt listed some of the economic consequences of the shutdown.
“Hundreds of thousands of federal employees have missed their paychecks, tens of billions in wages and benefits were withheld impacting vulnerable families, millions of low-income American families missed their SNAP benefits, nearly 20,000 flights at airports across the country were delayed due to staffing shortages causing Americans to miss family events, vacations, and work obligations.” 
She noted Airlines for America estimates flight disruptions already have or will impact 5.2 million travelers. 
The Congressional Budget Office estimates that cuts to fourth-quarter GDP growth could be as large as 2%, potentially delivering a negative blow to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent’s plan to keep the federal deficit at 3% of GDP in his “3-3-3” plan. 
CBO says, “Most of the decline in real GDP will be recovered eventually, but estimates between $7 billion and $14 billion will not be.” 
Leavitt said that she believes the deal will hold and that the government shutdown will come to an end tonight.  
She blamed Democrats for the entire government shutdown. “Just look at the vote count,” Leavitt urged. “The clean CR that will lead to the reopening of the federal government is what President Trump and Republicans have supported from day one.”
Before wrapping up her remarks and opening the room to questions, Leavitt touted President Trump’s efforts to address affordability in America. 
The Press Secretary discussed “the largest middle class tax cuts,” which include no tax on tips, no tax on overtime, and no tax on Social Security. She explained that the tax cuts will guarantee that “next year Americans will put more money into their pockets.” Leavitt then compared inflation rates during Trump’s administration with those of the Biden Administration. Notably, inflation rates under Biden were higher, with the administration averaging rates at <a href="https://www.bls.gov/regions/mid-atlantic/data/consumerpriceindexhistorical_us_table.htm">5%</a>. So far, the Trump administration is seeing averages of about <a href="https://www.bls.gov/regions/mid-atlantic/data/consumerpriceindexhistorical_us_table.htm">2.5%</a>. 
Leavitt says a big part of Trump’s ability to reduce inflation has been to unleash American energy dominance. She says, “Gasoline prices are at their lowest levels in five years, and we expect them to continue to decrease.” 
Along with lower gas prices, she noted the President is working around the clock to lower drug prices by negotiating deals with large pharmaceutical companies at home and abroad. Leavitt said she expects small businesses will save thousands of dollars in regulatory burdens as the Trump Administration “cuts thirty unnecessary regulations for every new one on the books.” 
Leavitt concluded by emphasizing that affordability remains at the top of President Trump’s agenda and criticized Democrats for what she called hypocrisy on the issue: “The notion that the same Democrats who shut down the federal government, sabotaged our economy, robbed people of their paychecks and helped Joe Biden ratchet up inflation to 9% are now suddenly affordability champions is completely absurd.”

Media Briefing Held By White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt

White House Press Secretary Lays Out Harm Caused by ‘Democrat Shutdown’

Government Shutdown

unnamed

How An ‘Unapologetic’ Trump 2.0 Brought Campaign Warfare To The White House 

Steven Cheung

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt laid into Zohran Mamdani and the Democratic Party on Tuesday after he linked New Jersey election center bomb threats to the Trump administration.
The socialist New York City mayoral candidate blamed Trump for the bomb threats at New Jersey polling facilities, which turned out to be a false alarm.
When Leavitt was asked about the comments by Fox News reporter Jacqui Heinrich, she <a href="https://twitter.com/ThePatriotOasis/status/1985778323595640952?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">said</a>: &#8220;I saw those comments. I think they are completely irresponsible and based on zero evidence. I think this is just another example of the how the Democrat Party, unfortunately, stands for nothing. All they stand against is President Donald Trump.&#8221;
Leavitt said it is obvious Trump had nothing to do with the threats.
&#8220;It&#8217;s quite sad to see that we have someone at the top of the ticket on an election day today saying such things about the president,&#8221; she added.
Mamdani said the threats to the seven polling locations were &#8220;incredibly concerning&#8221; and an &#8220;illustration of attacks we are seeing in our democracy.&#8221;
He said sometimes the attacks are &#8220;blatant,&#8221; like the bomb threats on Tuesday. He then warned, &#8220;We have to understand this is part of the general approach the Trump administration has taken taking to try to intimidate voters with baseless allegations of voter fraud as a means of trying to repress the voice of Americans across this country.&#8221;
New Jersey&#8217;s attorney general said the bomb threats came in early Tuesday morning. Despite Mamdani&#8217;s accusation, there is no indication that there was any political motivation.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Statement of Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin Regarding Today’s Election. <a href="https://t.co/88jdSbWMnM">pic.twitter.com/88jdSbWMnM</a>
— Attorney General Matt Platkin (@NewJerseyOAG) <a href="https://twitter.com/NewJerseyOAG/status/1985697469674516753?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 4, 2025</a></blockquote>
The seven polling locations affected by the threats included Bergen, Essex, Mercer, Middlesex, Monmouth, Ocean, and Passaic Counties.
According to a report from <a href="https://pix11.com/news/local-news/new-jersey/juvenile-linked-to-bomb-threat-at-polling-location-arrested-police/">PIX11</a>, New Jersey officials arrested a juvenile in connection to at least one of the threats.

Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt Speaks During White House Press Briefing

‘Completely Irresponsible’: White House Rips Mamdani For Connecting Election Day Bomb Threats To Trump

Elections

Zohran Mamdani

Thanks to valiant efforts from on-air personalities Kasie Hunt and Kaitlan Collins, CNN managed to deliver two acts of actual journalism in the same 24-hour period — on two different topics.
The first came on Monday evening from Collins, who was discussing the political hot topics of the day with Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX) on &#8220;The Source&#8221; and took a moment to fact-check the Texas Democrat when she played fast and loose with the context of a statement made earlier in the day by White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Jasmine Crockett immediately runs the debunked &#8220;Trump’s main priority is the ballroom” hoax on her CNN hit.
The lie is so egregious, she actually gets fact-checked by Kaitlan Collins. <a href="https://t.co/HRfeoTZ3ys">https://t.co/HRfeoTZ3ys</a> <a href="https://t.co/lvdp4gkuGu">pic.twitter.com/lvdp4gkuGu</a>
— Western Lensman (@WesternLensman) <a href="https://twitter.com/WesternLensman/status/1982988988072722491?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 28, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
When asked whether she thought the ongoing government shutdown was likely to end any time soon, Crockett attempted to make it look like President Donald Trump was going out of his way to prioritize other things.
&#8220;The president has time to do everything but what he needs to focus on. In fact, we heard the press secretary say his main priority is the ballroom — the ballroom that no one asked for. The ballroom that requires him to destroy historic pieces of the White House. And so it doesn’t seem like he’s interested [in the shutdown],&#8221; Crockett claimed.
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Collins pushed back immediately, noting that Leavitt had said the ballroom was the president&#8217;s top priority — but that she had been specifically referring to construction and renovation projects at the White House.
&#8220;Yeah, and that context of the comment from Karoline Leavitt, she was asked if the president was working on any other renovations when it came to the White House, and she was saying his focus was the ballroom,&#8221; Collins said.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Karoline Leavitt was asked if &#8220;the president is looking at any other renovations&#8221; at the White House?
Karoline answered: &#8220;At this moment in time of course, the ballroom is really the president&#8217;s main priority.&#8221;
This is how easily Democrats lie about stupid stuff. <a href="https://t.co/qGuZkvYYPV">https://t.co/qGuZkvYYPV</a> <a href="https://t.co/1fBzh8sdRN">pic.twitter.com/1fBzh8sdRN</a>
— Andrew Kolvet (@AndrewKolvet) <a href="https://twitter.com/AndrewKolvet/status/1981491616591597662?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 23, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Less than 24 hours later, Senator Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) joined host Kasie Hunt to discuss the ongoing shutdown — and she pressed him repeatedly on his party&#8217;s evolving position on keeping the government shuttered in order to leverage political gains.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Ruben Gallego just got wrecked on CNN for his hypocritical stance on shutdowns reverting to a &#8220;BUT TRUMP&#8221; response:
Host: &#8220;Why is it suddenly right to do it this way?&#8221;
Gallego: &#8220;It&#8217;s DONALD TRUMP &#8230; it&#8217;s all out the window Casey.&#8221;
There is nothing that Democrats have aside… <a href="https://t.co/sZKARGLRKA">pic.twitter.com/sZKARGLRKA</a>
— Andrew Kolvet (@AndrewKolvet) <a href="https://twitter.com/AndrewKolvet/status/1983278331157196951?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 28, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;So I think my question is this, I mean, I take your point about these millions of people, the cost of living is incredibly high, but also Republicans control the White House, they control the Senate, they control the House, and in the past, Democrats, when Republicans have tried to do something like this, Democrats have argued that the norms of our government should be that you negotiate policy outside of a government shutdown,&#8221; Hunt confronted Gallego right from the start. &#8220;I mean, over many years covering Washington, people have said that over and over and over again.&#8221;
&#8220;Now I have neighbors in the D.C. area who are both employed by the federal government who are having to use food banks. We are heading into Thanksgiving. Why is it suddenly right to do it this way and to do it for this long when it didn’t used to be the right way in Democrats&#8217; view?&#8221; Hunt asked directly.
&#8220;Oh, that’s an easy answer. It’s Donald Trump,&#8221; Gallego replied, spinning quickly to change the topic. &#8220;You’re talking about norms in the time of Donald Trump? It’s also normal not for you to tear down the East Wing.&#8221;
Hunt did not budge: &#8220;Right, but Democrats have spent so much time arguing about how maintaining those norms is actually incredibly important in the face of Donald Trump.&#8221;
&#8220;It doesn’t. It’s all out the window. It is all out of the window, Kasie,&#8221; Gallego insisted, arguing that because he and Democrats did not like what Trump was doing, they were justified in breaking rules in order to level the playing field. &#8220;No. When you’re doing this time with Donald Trump, this is the man that is extorting people. He’s literally breaking every rule. We’re not going to go back and play by the norms when we know that&#8217;s what’s on the line. What’s on the line is 24 million people are going to have their insurance rates premiums doubled. That’s a new thing, by the way. And the fact is the president and everyone expects us to play by these old norms.&#8221;
&#8220;But didn’t Democrats kind of set that up in the bill that you passed, though, that these subsidies were going to expire?&#8221; Hunt was clearly not convinced.
Gallego admitted that Hunt was, in fact, correct — but once again attempted to spin, blaming Republicans for not wanting to pony up billions of taxpayer dollars to fund endless subsidies, all just to rescue the Affordable Care Act they hadn&#8217;t supported in the first place.
&#8220;When we passed the bills and back in the day, as part of the Inflation Reduction Act, of course we were trying to maybe hope for the best that this country and our Republican colleagues would understand that raising insurance rates on people is a bad thing. I’m sorry they don’t see it that way, but it’s also not my job to make their job easier,&#8221; he said. &#8220;My job is to make sure that the premiums of 24 million Americans does not double overnight. And if it makes it harder on the Republicans that we’re putting them in a very difficult position, then they have to answer for that &#8230; But I’m not gonna abide by old norms, especially when you’re dealing with this presidency, this administration, and how the Republicans themselves have been acting.&#8221;

2024 Republican National Convention: Day 1

PLOT TWIST: CNN Commits Two Acts Of Journalism In The Same Day

CNN Commits Two Acts Of Journalism In The Same Day

Journalism

Kaitlan Collins

Kasie Hunt

Legacy Media

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt on Thursday highlighted President Donald Trump&#8217;s willingness to cross the political aisle as the government shutdown drags on.
Five minutes before the briefing, President Donald Trump announced on Truth Social that after a conversation with San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie, he decided to hold off on deploying the National Guard to the city, citing Lurie&#8217;s request to tackle crime in the city without federal aid. Daily Wire White House Correspondent Mary Margaret Olohan asked Leavitt if this was &#8220;what the President hopes for in every city?” 
“The President is willing to work with anyone across the aisle, across the country to do the right thing and clean up American cities,&#8221; Leavitt said. &#8220;He is genuinely interested in this effort to make our streets safer, our cities safe and clean again.” 
Olohan also asked Leavitt about the &#8220;No Kings&#8221; protesters who threatened government officials, including Deputy White House Chief of Staff Stephen Miller.
 “I would think myself, the President, and everyone else at the White House would hope anyone making violent threats against public officials will be arrested and prosecuted,&#8221; Leavitt said.
Leavitt also warned of mounting consequences of the government shutdown, which just hit its 23rd day with no end in sight. The press secretary said that half a million federal employees would miss their next paycheck tomorrow and noted that $4 billion in capital was withheld from small businesses while warning of lapses in SNAP funding and strain on air traffic controllers.
&#8220;If the Democrats continue to keep the government closed, we fear there will be significant delays and disruption for airlines this holiday season,&#8221; Leavitt said before reading quotes from Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Whip Katherine Clark boasting the shutdown gave Democrats &#8220;leverage.&#8221;  
But neither crime nor the shutdown dominated the question and answer portion of Thursday&#8217;s briefing. That honor went to President Trump&#8217;s White House renovations.
“Is it a big story?” Leavitt asked sarcastically after the first question on the ballroom.
The reporter responded, &#8220;It seems that way.&#8221; 
Leavitt confirmed the president would release an exact figure detailing how much of his own funding he was giving to the White House. It’s estimated that the ballroom will cost $300 million dollars. President Trump has stated that it will be funded privately and the full list of donors has been released. 
Of the 30 questions reporters asked, 11 were about the ballroom. 
Leavitt stated that Trump has been incredibly transparent and showed reporters models in the Oval Office, noting how she had already given remarks to the press exclusively about the ballroom. 
By the end of the press conference there had been so many inquiries about the ballroom that Fox News&#8217;s Aisha Hashmi started her line of questioning with, “Thanks Karoline. Two questions not on the ballroom.&#8221;

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt Holds Press Briefing

Karoline Leavitt: Trump Will Work With Any Dem City Willing To Crackdown On Crime

Crime

San Francisco

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt gave a three word response to a HuffPost reporter looking for a comment about who had suggested the location for a specific meeting: “Your mom did.”
The reporter in question, S. V. Dáte, had asked about a meeting that was planned in Budapest, Hungary, between President  Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. The concern, according to Dáte, was that Russia had previously promised not to invade Ukraine in that very city in 1994. Dáte published Leavitt’s response:
<blockquote>In response to HuffPost’s query about who suggested Budapest, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt responded, “Your mom did,” and White House communications director Steven Cheung replied: “Your mom.”</blockquote>
Steve Guest responded to the article, saying, “Congratulations to HuffPost for eliciting the most legendary response from the White House. HuffPost asked who picked the location for Trump’s upcoming meeting with Putin …”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Congratulations to HuffPost for eliciting the most legendary response from the White House.
HuffPost asked who picked the location for Trump&#8217;s upcoming meeting with Putin.<a href="https://twitter.com/PressSec?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PressSec</a> responded: &#8220;Your mom did.&#8221;<a href="https://twitter.com/StevenCheung47?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@StevenCheung47</a> responded: &#8220;Your mom.&#8221;
Hilarious responses. <a href="https://t.co/jiRII8jGUz">pic.twitter.com/jiRII8jGUz</a>
— Steve Guest (@SteveGuest) <a href="https://twitter.com/SteveGuest/status/1979267771083993480?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 17, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Leavitt offered clarification a short time later, sharing screenshots of the full text exchange.
The way the question was framed, it was clear that the intention was to lay a trap for the Trump administration — either the person who chose that location would be framed as ignorant of the historical context, or they would be accused of selecting that location as an intentional slight to Ukraine.
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“For context, S.V. Dáte of the Huffington Post is not a journalist interested in the facts. He is a left-wing hack who has consistently attacked President Trump for years and constantly bombards my phone with Democrat talking points,” Leavitt posted along with the screenshot of the text exchange.
“Just take a look at @svdate’s feed, it reads like an anti-Trump personal diary. Here is my full response to his ‘inquiry,’” she continued, adding, “Activists who masquerade as real reporters do a disservice to the profession.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
For context, S.V. Dáte of the Huffington Post is not a journalist interested in the facts. He is a left-wing hack who has consistently attacked President Trump for years and constantly bombards my phone with Democrat talking points.
Just take a look at <a href="https://twitter.com/svdate?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@svdate</a>’s feed, it reads… <a href="https://t.co/NxWn2mdUsa">https://t.co/NxWn2mdUsa</a> <a href="https://t.co/v7owI5N4us">pic.twitter.com/v7owI5N4us</a>
— Karoline Leavitt (@PressSec) <a href="https://twitter.com/PressSec/status/1980288128867877125?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 20, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&nbsp;

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt Holds Press Briefing At The White House

Read Karoline Leavitt’s Fiery Text To HuffPost Reporter

Huffington Post

Russia

Ukraine-Russia War

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt unloaded on New York City&#8217;s Democratic mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani, commenting on his inability to answer a straight question about Hamas during his recent interview with Fox News host Martha MacCallum.
Leavitt, speaking on Thursday with &#8220;America Reports&#8221; anchors Sandra Smith and John Roberts, specifically addressed Mamdani&#8217;s refusal to say that Hamas terrorists should lay down their arms, refrain from killing Palestinian civilians, and step aside so that the Trump administration-brokered peace deal in Gaza can find footing.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/PressSec?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PressSec</a> on Zohran Mamdani&#8217;s refusal to call on Hamas to lay down its arms: &#8220;This interview proved that the Democrat Party&#8217;s main constituencies are made up of Hamas terrorists, illegal aliens, and violent criminals — that is who the Democrat Party is catering to.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/wUPEt6rowS">pic.twitter.com/wUPEt6rowS</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1978871661970817304?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 16, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;Well, that&#8217;s a classic case of &#8216;I don&#8217;t want to answer the question because I know it&#8217;s wildly unpopular,'&#8221; Leavitt observed, adding, &#8220;And the Democrat Party — this interview proved that the Democrat Party&#8217;s main constituencies are made up of Hamas terrorists, illegal aliens, and violent criminals — that is who the Democrat Party is catering to.&#8221;
&#8220;Not the Trump administration, not the White House, and not the Republican Party, who is standing up for law-abiding Americans — not just across the country but around the world, and that&#8217;s why President Trump worked so hard to end this conflict in the Middle East,&#8221; Leavitt continued. &#8220;It was President Trump who brought home the last living hostages out of Gaza.&#8221;
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&#8220;It&#8217;s President Trump who is actually pushing for peace. I would like to add, where are all the &#8216;Free Palestine&#8217; protesters?&#8221; she added, noting that Trump was the one who had paved the way for Gaza to be free.
The interview that sparked the conversation, which aired live on Wednesday&#8217;s broadcast of &#8220;The Story,&#8221; took a turn when MacCallum asked Mamdani about Hamas terrorists killing Palestinian civilians in Gaza even as the first phase of the peace deal was still unfolding.
&#8220;Do you believe that Hamas should lay down their weapons, and leave the leadership in Gaza?&#8221; she asked.
&#8220;I believe that any future here in New York City is one that we have to make sure that’s affordable for all. And as it pertains to Israel and Palestine, that we need to ensure that there is peace, and that is the future that we fight for,&#8221; Mamdani replied.
&#8220;But you won’t say that Hamas should lay down their arms and give up leadership in Gaza?&#8221; MacCallum asked again.
&#8220;I don’t really have opinions about the future of Hamas and Israel beyond the question of justice and safety, and the fact that anything has to abide by international law. And that applies to Hamas, that applies to the Israeli military, applies to anyone you could ask me about,&#8221; was Mamdani&#8217;s response.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt Holds Media Briefing

Press Sec Unloads On Mamdani Over Disastrous Hamas Question

Hamas

Israel

New York City

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer is under fire for saying “every day gets better” for Democrats during the government shutdown.
Speaking to Punchbowl News, the New York Democrat explained why he was confident in the Democratic Party’s strategy as the government shutdown winds through its second week with no signs of stopping.
“Every day gets better for us,” <a href="https://punchbowl.news/article/senate/schumer-dems-momentum/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Schumer said.</a> “It’s because we’ve thought about this long in advance and we knew that health care would be the focal point on Sept. 30 and we prepared for it … Their whole theory was — threaten us, bamboozle us, and we would submit in a day or two.”
Republicans quickly took issue with Schumer’s comment.
“Better for Schumer. Worse for Americans,” Vice President JD Vance <a href="https://x.com/jdvance?lang=en" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote</a> on X. “What a vile sentiment from an alleged leader in our country.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Better for Schumer. Worse for Americans.
What a vile sentiment from an alleged leader in our country. <a href="https://t.co/P9bpss06s1">https://t.co/P9bpss06s1</a>
— JD Vance (@JDVance) <a href="https://twitter.com/JDVance/status/1976271822535696840?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 9, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
“While federal workers stress over missed paychecks, military families turn to food pantries, and airports around the country face delays — Chuck Schumer and the Democrats are bragging that ‘every day gets better’ for them,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
While federal workers stress over missed paychecks, military families turn to food pantries, and airports around the country face delays — Chuck Schumer and the Democrats are bragging that “every day gets better” for them.
What a disgusting and revealing statement.
Democrats… <a href="https://t.co/OzugEJjSuS">pic.twitter.com/OzugEJjSuS</a>
— Karoline Leavitt (@PressSec) <a href="https://twitter.com/PressSec/status/1976255131604627497?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 9, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
“What a disgusting and revealing statement. Democrats are gleeful about inflicting pain on the American people.”
Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) wrote on X that Schumer “said the quiet part out loud.&#8221;
Schumer&#8217;s comment left Sen. Bill Hagerty (R-TN) with more questions than answers.
“Better for us. Who is us? Not our military working without pay. Not law enforcement. Not air traffic controllers,” the senator asked.
Schumer is very much aware of the shutdown’s disruptions, <a href="https://x.com/SenSchumer/status/1975974697595494645" target="_blank" rel="noopener">publishing</a> a lengthy list on X last night.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
It&#8217;s now been a full week of Donald Trump&#8217;s government shutdown.
700,000+ federal employees furloughed 
Disruptions to critical services 
Businesses nationwide with government contracts are in peril
Because Donald Trump and the Republicans would rather close the government than…
— Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) <a href="https://twitter.com/SenSchumer/status/1975974697595494645?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 8, 2025</a></blockquote>
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“700,000+ federal employees furloughed, the disruption to critical services, businesses nationwide with government contracts in peril.”
As the shutdown drags on, more and more government services will cease operating. The Daily Wire reported this week that the shutdown has led to massive <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/americans-face-flight-delays-as-government-shutdown-fuels-air-traffic-control-woes?author=Cameron+Arcand&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=2&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Americans+Face+Flight+Delays+As+Government+Shutdown+Fuels+Air+Traffic+Control+Woes" target="_blank" rel="noopener">flight delays</a> and prevented the release of the latest monthly <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-government-shutdown-means-theres-no-september-jobs-report-is-that-bad?author=Brecca+Stoll&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=The+Government+Shutdown+Means+There%E2%80%99s+No+September+Jobs+Report.+Is+That+Bad%3F" target="_blank" rel="noopener">jobs report.</a>
The shutdown could also have a negative impact on the economy as a whole.
“Each week, a shutdown subtracts about 0.1% of annualized GDP growth via reduced government activity,” Chief U.S. economist at J.P. Morgan Michael Feroli <a href="https://www.jpmorgan.com/insights/global-research/current-events/government-shutdown" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. “For as long as the government shutdown goes on, we will be iterating a little bit blind.”
A growing number of Americans — including active-duty service members — will <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/americans-will-miss-paychecks-if-shutdown-doesnt-end-tonight?author=Brecca+Stoll&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=1&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Americans+Will+Miss+Paychecks+If+Shutdown+Doesn%E2%80%99t+End+Tonight" target="_blank" rel="noopener">miss paychecks</a> as the shutdown continues.
Instead of a paycheck, federal employees received a letter to pass along to their lenders and creditors asking for consideration given “the unforeseeable nature of this furlough when making decisions that affect employees finances.”
Lawmakers like Schumer are paid throughout the shutdown.

US Government Shutdown Looms With Trump, Democrats At Odds

Schumer Slammed For Shutdown Comments: ‘He Said The Quiet Part Out Loud’

Chuck Schumer

JD Vance

If Congress does not fund the government by Monday night, it will cost millions of Americans their next full paycheck, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt warned on Monday.
“Millions of American federal workers are under enormous financial stress as a result, wondering how they will pay their bills and take care of their families,” Leavitt said. “If the Democrats do not vote to open the government tonight, federal workers will not receive their next full paycheck.”
More than 620,000 federal workers have <a href="https://www.govexec.com/workforce/2025/10/more-employees-set-receive-furlough-notices-shutdown-drags/408629/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">already been furloughed</a> as the government shutdown approaches its second week. More and more workers will join their ranks in the coming days unless Republicans and Democrats come to an agreement on a funding bill. That includes more than <a href="https://www.reuters.com/legal/litigation/another-deadline-us-shutdown-will-troops-get-paychecks-october-15-2025-10-06/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">1 million active-duty troops</a> whose pay will lapse on October 15 absent an agreement.
Furloughed employees are issued letters they may present to landlords or creditors and will be issued back pay once the shutdown ends. Still, workers are already beginning to feel the strain of the shutdown, with some <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/US/fed-workers-stressed-financially-stretched-government-shutdown/story?id=126152597" target="_blank" rel="noopener">telling</a> ABC News they are living paycheck to paycheck.
Leavitt on Wednesday placed the blame for that financial strain firmly on Democrats, noting that just five defections would bring an end to the shutdown. That would not only protect federal workers’ pay, but also ensure federal nutrition programs for women and children operate uninterrupted.
Democrats thus far have refused to support funding bills that do not make permanent expanded Obamacare premium tax credits set to expire this year. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) took to X Friday to affirm that “Democrats will keep fighting to save health care for all Americans.”
Republicans say Schumer is keeping the government closed for fear of alienating extreme members of his party, who support the expanded tax credits because they would make it easier for illegal aliens to receive taxpayer-subsidized health benefits.
The Democrats’ “funding proposal would result in nearly $200 billion dollars spent on health care for illegal aliens and other non-citizens over the next decade,” Leavitt said Wednesday.
Republicans are pushing a “clean” funding bill, which would keep the government running without any additional provisions. The House of Representatives passed the bill on Sept. 19 by a vote of 217-212. The Senate has repeatedly failed to pass the bill, with the majority of Democrats voting to oppose.
Democratic Senators John Fetterman, (Pa.) and Catherine Cortez Masto (Nev.) have sided with Republicans.

Democrats Call On FCC Chair To Resign Over ABC’s Kimmel Decision

Americans Will Miss Paychecks If Shutdown Doesn’t End Tonight

Senate Democrats

U.S. troops

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt reminded CNN&#8217;s Kaitlan Collins that, as a reporter, it was her job to get to the bottom of things rather than to simply accept whatever party line came from the people in power.
While addressing the ongoing situation in Portland, Oregon — where Antifa rioters have squared off against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers while local police stand down and independent journalists get caught in the crossfire — Collins suggested that President Donald Trump&#8217;s plan to send in the National Guard was unnecessary.
&#8220;I spoke to the police chief of Portland last week. He said that the president&#8217;s claims just don&#8217;t match up with what&#8217;s happening on the ground,&#8221; Collins said, asking Leavitt whether she&#8217;d spoken to anyone who was in favor of a National Guard presence.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/PressSec?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PressSec</a> smacks down Fake News <a href="https://twitter.com/kaitlancollins?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@kaitlancollins</a> for denying Portland crime: &#8220;I would encourage you, as a reporter, to go on the ground and to take a look for yourself&#8230; You&#8217;re probably talking to partisan Democrat officials who are opposed to everything this President does.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/ZVjKMBooVK">pic.twitter.com/ZVjKMBooVK</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1975254876004491792?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 6, 2025</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;I would encourage you, as a reporter, to go on the ground and to take a look for yourself, because there&#8217;s been many members of the press — not the press in this room but independent journalists — some of whom we&#8217;ll be inviting to the White House very soon to share their stories,&#8221; Leavitt said. &#8220;Because they have been in the middle of these riots, and they have witnessed the anarchy that is taking place night after night. It&#8217;s on video!&#8221;
&#8220;You should play it on your show — you have a great opportunity in primetime on CNN to show your audience —&#8221; Collins started to interrupt, but Leavitt kept going. &#8220;You&#8217;re probably talking to partisan Democrat officials who are opposed to everything this president does.&#8221;
She also encouraged Collins to speak to the people who live in Portland and ask them how they felt about the chaos that was unfolding on their streets every night.
&#8220;These people are not there to peacefully protest, they are there to cause mayhem and havoc,&#8221; Leavitt said of the protesters.

‘Take A Look For Yourself’: Press Sec Challenges CNN Reporter To Actually Report

National Guard

Oregon

Portland

The White House plans deep cuts to “Democrat agencies” as the government shutdown continues, a terrorist attacks an Orthodox synagogue killing two and wounding more, and Leonardo DiCaprio stars in a new political blockbuster.
It’s Friday, October 3, 2025, and this is the news you need to know to start your day.
Morning Wire is available on video! You can watch today’s episode here:
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If you would rather listen to your news, today’s edition of the Morning Wire podcast can be heard below:
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<h2 style="text-align: center;">Shutdown Day 3</h2>
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Topline: The government shutdown enters its third day, as the blame game continues and President Donald Trump threatens mass firings of federal employees. 
The GOP strategy: The White House wants to make the shutdown about healthcare funding for illegal immigrants. It says the Democrat proposal would result in $200 billion in subsidies going to non-citizens over the next decade, primarily through Medicaid and mandatory emergency care. The White House argues that the American people elected President Trump to cut those exact policies, and by blocking him from doing so, Democrats are denying the will of the people.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt <a href="https://x.com/RapidResponse47/status/1973753810154889282">said</a>: “Trump ran on the promise to end taxpayer-funded benefits going to illegal aliens, and tens of millions of Americans voted him back to this beautiful White House to implement that promise … and now Democrats want to undo it — and they&#8217;re holding our country hostage.”
The White House says the United States will lose $15 billion in GDP revenue each week the shutdown drags on, and it wants to ensure Democrats bear the blame, posting news clips on social media describing national guardsmen going unpaid, food assistance for low-income single mothers drying up, etc.
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A number of federal websites had new banners on Thursday — the official Justice Department homepage, for example, read “Democrats have shut down the government … websites are not currently updated.” 
Trump’s austerity: The president is targeting “non-essential” federal employees for termination as part of his broader government efficiency efforts. He posted on social media that he “had a meeting today with Russ Vought, he of PROJECT 2025 Fame, to determine which of the many Democrat Agencies, most of which are a political SCAM, he recommends to be cut … I can’t believe the Radical Left Democrats gave me this unprecedented opportunity.”
<h2 style="text-align: center;">Yom Kippur Synagogue Attack</h2>
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-980287" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Manchester-Synagogue-Attacked-300x169.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="169" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Manchester-Synagogue-Attacked-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Manchester-Synagogue-Attacked-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Manchester-Synagogue-Attacked-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Manchester-Synagogue-Attacked-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Manchester-Synagogue-Attacked.jpg 1920w" sizes=" (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
Topline: A knife-wielding man targeted a synagogue in Manchester, England, on Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar.
The U.K.’s counterterrorism police have deemed the attack a “<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/live/2025/10/02/world/manchester-synagogue-stabbing-uk">terrorist incident</a>.”
Timeline: Authorities first received calls at around 9:30 a.m. local time about a man driving his vehicle into pedestrians outside the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation synagogue. The suspect, identified as Jihad al-Shamie, a 35-year-old British citizen who is of Syrian descent, then got out of his vehicle and began stabbing people around him. Authorities have confirmed that two people have been killed and four others were injured.
The suspect was shot and killed by police about 7-8 minutes after authorities were first called. 
The attack: The terrorist was not able to enter the actual synagogue because the entrance was locked and barricaded. When he exited the vehicle, he immediately encountered synagogue security and other members who stopped him.
Step back: About 30,000 Jewish people reside in Manchester – outside of London, it’s home to the largest Jewish community in the country. Antisemitic incidents in the U.K. have hit record levels after the October 7th attack by Hamas in Israel. In the first half of this year alone, there have been more than 1,500 reported incidents.
<h2 style="text-align: center;">“One Battle After Another”</h2>
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Topline: A new film by celebrated director Paul Thomas Anderson starring Leonardo DiCaprio is earning high praise from critics and solid numbers at the box office – but it’s also stirring up debate about its potentially polarizing political themes.
National Review contributor Giancarlo Sopo joined Morning Wire to discuss the film, “One Battle After Another.”
What is the film about? “I think to understand ‘One Battle After Another,’ you have to understand the book that it&#8217;s based on, and it&#8217;s Thomas Pynchon’s ‘Vineland.’ Essentially, it&#8217;s a story about a bunch of radicals who have gotten burned out, have attempted to attack government installations and institutions using violence. Now they are being hunted. So, it&#8217;s a satire, right? You’ve got radicals on one side, and then on the right, you&#8217;re going to have a bunch of racist, autocratic thugs, essentially, coming after them who are part of this paramilitary organization that is also tied, by the way, to a secret society of races called the Christmas Adventurers Club.”
Is it a political movie? “I think the film&#8217;s political sympathies are obviously with the progressive left. At the same time, though, I wouldn&#8217;t necessarily call it a political movie. I would look at it more as Antifa Star Wars, as a friend told me, where the politics and the radicalism is kind of used as a vehicle to tell a father-daughter story. You have this burned-out dad who spends all day smoking weed and watching ‘The Battle Of Algiers,’ bringing up a young daughter, who&#8217;s a teenager now, entirely by himself. And he&#8217;s having a hard time communicating with her. There are very funny, generational conflicts as tends to happen to those who have kids now are starting to figure that out.”
Is there any sympathy for people considered to be on the right in the film? “The thing with the movie is that no one&#8217;s really in the center, right? Or really the center left or much less the middle. It follows a set of extremists on both sides. And what the story is telling you on the political side is that these ideologies are pulling people away from what matters most to them in life, which should be their own children. There are very clear passages in the film that communicate that. I don&#8217;t think anyone is portrayed here sympathetically in the film, to be candid with you, with the exception of the teenage girl.”
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Morning Brief: Shutdown Day 3, Deadly Synagogue Attack, And Leonardo DiCaprio’s New Political Movie

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