The Trump administration is moving to end the requirement that passengers remove their shoes when going through airport security, according to multiple reports.
The much-hated shoe removal mandate, which has been in place since 2006, is being gradually phased out in the coming weeks, according to Transportation Security Administration (TSA) agents who have told multiple news outlets. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed the news on Tuesday morning. 
The phase-out began at Baltimore/Washington International Airport, Fort Lauderdale International Airport, Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport, Portland International Airport, Philadelphia International Airport, and Piedmont Triad International Airport in North Carolina, CBS News <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/tsa-shoes-rule-expires/">reported</a>. 
On Tuesday morning, Leavitt posted, “Big news from [the Department of Homeland Security]!” in response to an X news post on the policy change. 
&nbsp;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Big news from <a href="https://twitter.com/DHSgov?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DHSgov</a>! ✈️👟 <a href="https://t.co/GJjd2UQMki">https://t.co/GJjd2UQMki</a>
— Karoline Leavitt (@PressSec) <a href="https://twitter.com/PressSec/status/1942566895011447059?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 8, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
“TSA and DHS are always exploring new and innovative ways to enhance the passenger experience and our strong security posture,” a TSA spokesman <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/07/travel/tsa-shoes-removal-airport-security.html">told</a> the New York Times on Monday. “Any potential updates to our security process will be issued through official channels.”
The news was first <a href="https://gateaccess.substack.com/p/exclusive-tsa-to-end-shoe-removal">reported</a> by Gate Access on July 4, which stated that the TSA had begun circulating the updated shoe guidance. Before the change, visitors enrolled in the TSA PreCheck program were permitted to keep their shoes, belts, and jackets on and were not required to remove laptops or liquids from their bags. 
Some conservative commentators praised the move from the Trump administration.
&#8220;Rejoice, you no longer have to take your shoes off to go through TSA airport security. Always a moronic rule that didn’t seem likely to make any of us safer. But this removal is likely to make airport security lines run way smoother,&#8221;  Outkick founder Clay Travis said.
In December 2001, a month after the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the United States, airline passenger Richard Reid attempted to ignite explosive devices hidden in his shoes while on a flight from Paris to Miami. Still considered a threat years later, the shoe removal policy was first <a href="https://www.tsa.gov/timeline">instituted</a> in 2006 as a way to screen airline passengers for explosives. 
Reid, known as the shoe bomber, had homemade bombs containing 10 ounces of explosive materials hidden in his shoes that the FBI <a href="https://www.fbi.gov/history/artifacts/richard-reids-shoes">said</a> would have blown a hole in the plane’s fuselage if detonated successfully. After pleading guilty to eight terrorism-related charges, Reid was sentenced to life in prison.

Denver International Airport scenes

Trump Admin Phasing Out Most Hated Airport Screening Policy

Air and Space

airport

Department of Homeland Security

Karoline Leavitt

Security

Trump Administration

U.S.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt set the record straight on Monday after multiple media outlets had <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/dana-bash-blames-climate-change-donald-trumps-administration-for-texas-floods">blamed President Donald Trump&#8217;s administration</a> for what they claimed was a lack of necessary staffing at the National Weather Service (NWS).
Multiple reports have circulated — in the wake of devastating flash flooding in central Texas — suggesting that Trump&#8217;s efforts to shrink the size of the federal government through the Department Of Government Efficiency (DOGE) had led to a shortage of key staffers in the Texas NWS offices responsible for warning the local population in the event of a flood.
Leavitt pushed back, saying that the offices in question were, in fact, fully staffed.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/PressSec?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PressSec</a> dispels the fake news around National Weather Service staffing in the wake of the weekend&#8217;s devastating Texas flooding: &#8220;The San Angelo office was fully staffed with 12 forecast meteorologists &#8230; The San Antonio office was operating with 11 forecasters.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/sk5rPG1Tv1">pic.twitter.com/sk5rPG1Tv1</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1942278778329203130?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 7, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;Are there concerns within the White House or from the president himself that the cuts that happened under Musk while he was advising DOGE, including the National Weather Service?&#8221; one reporter asked.
&#8220;I think I&#8217;ve already addressed that &#8230; and what I can tell you is that these offices were fully staffed,&#8221; Leavitt explained. &#8220;The San Angelo office was fully staffed with 12 forecast meteorologists, there were no vacancies. The San Antonio office was operating with 11 forecasters, and &#8230; the union themselves said that there was adequate staffing, so I think those words speak for themselves, and the numbers speak for themselves.&#8221;
&#8220;This was a once-in-a-century flash flood, a tragic natural disaster, and the administration is doing all that we can on the ground to help these families during this time of need,&#8221; she added.
President Donald Trump told reporters on Sunday that he planned to visit the flood-ravaged state in the near future, but wanted to wait until his presence would not be a hindrance to relief efforts.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt

‘These Offices Were Fully Staffed’: Karoline Leavitt Corrects The Record On National Weather Service

'These Offices Were Fully Staffed': Karoline Leavitt Corrects The Record On National Weather Service

Floods

Media

Politics

Texas

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump will sign the One Big, Beautiful Bill on the Fourth of July, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt shared on a call with reporters Thursday.
Leavitt spoke within minutes of the bill&#8217;s Thursday passage through the House of Representatives, prompting celebrations from White House officials, who hailed the news as a massive victory.
&#8220;Today is a victorious day for the American people,&#8221; Leavitt told reporters. &#8220;In addition to the jobs report beating expectations for the 4th month in a row under President Trump, the One Big, Beautiful Bill passed the House of Representatives and will be at the president&#8217;s desk for signature at a big, beautiful signing ceremony tomorrow at 5:00 p.m. on the 4th of July, just as the president always said and hoped it would be.&#8221;
&#8220;And despite the doubters and the panickins,&#8221; she added, &#8220;President Trump delivered win after win for the American people, and House Republicans and Senate Republicans delivered these wins with the passage of the One Big, Beautiful Bill into law.&#8221;
<div id="attachment_942833" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-will-sign-one-big-beautiful-bill-at-fourth-of-july-celebration/us-congress-bill-politics" rel="attachment wp-att-942833"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-942833" class="wp-image-942833 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/GettyImages-2222675967-864x576.jpg" alt="" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/GettyImages-2222675967-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/GettyImages-2222675967-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/GettyImages-2222675967-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/GettyImages-2222675967.jpg 1024w" sizes="(max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" /></a>US House Speaker Mike Johnson, Republican of Louisiana, speaks after the House passed the &#8220;Big Beautiful Bill Act&#8221; at the US Capitol in Washington, DC, on July 3, 2025.  (Photo by JEMAL COUNTESS/AFP via Getty Images)</div>
The White House is touting the bill&#8217;s passage as the biggest legislative win of the president&#8217;s two terms in office, promising that it will deliver the largest tax cut in American history. The bill also includes increased border security, higher wages, expanded Child Tax Credit, no tax on tips, no tax on overtime, no tax on Social Security, savings accounts for newborns, and more.
&#8220;Again and again,&#8221; the White House said in a Thursday afternoon release, &#8220;President Trump and Republicans fought and won for the American people.&#8221;
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&#8220;The pro-growth policies within this historic legislation are going to fuel an economic boom like we’ve never seen before,&#8221; Leavitt said in a Thursday statement. &#8220;President Trump looks forward to signing the One Big, Beautiful Bill into law to officially usher in the Golden Age of America.”
The B-2 pilots <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/pilots-who-bombed-iran-will-come-to-white-house-on-fourth-of-july?author=Mary+Margaret+Olohan&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=4&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Pilots+Who+Bombed+Iran+Will+Come+To+White+House+On+Fourth+Of+July">who flew into Iran on a mission to bomb</a> the Iranian nuclear facilities will join Trump at the White House on Friday, The Daily Wire reported earlier this week. The White House celebration will also include a flyover by B-2 Spirit bombers, the jets that conducted the strikes on Iran earlier this month in Operation Midnight Hammer.
Trump is expected to speak at the event, and additional personnel from the base where the bombers were stationed (Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri) will attend.

Republican National Convention: Day Four

Trump Will Sign One Big, Beautiful Bill At Fourth Of July Celebration

Donald Trump

Economy

Executive

Reconciliation

U.S. House of Representatives

U.S. Senate

WASHINGTON — The pilots who flew into Iran on a mission to bomb the Iranian nuclear facilities will join President Donald Trump at the White House on Friday, The Daily Wire has learned.
The B-2 pilots will be in attendance on Friday at the White House Fourth of July celebrations, two White House officials shared with The Daily Wire. The White House celebration will also include a flyover by B-2 Spirit bombers, the jets that conducted the strikes on Iran earlier this month in Operation Midnight Hammer, according to CBS.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/iran-mission-pilots-trump-white-house-july-4/">confirmed in a statement</a> that the president &#8220;looks forward to celebrating our nation&#8217;s founding on Friday in the nation&#8217;s capital.&#8221;
&#8220;To join in the celebration, the might of America&#8217;s Air Force will conduct a flyover featuring our state-of-the-art F-22s, B-2s, and F-35s &#8211; the same air capabilities used for the decisive and successful strikes on Iran&#8217;s nuclear facilities,&#8221; Leavitt added.
Trump is expected to speak at the event, and additional personnel from the base where the bombers were based (Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri) will attend.
<div id="attachment_941483" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/pilots-who-bombed-iran-will-come-to-white-house-on-fourth-of-july/stealth-b-2-bombers-based-at-whiteman-air-force-base-lead-nuclear-site-bombing-mission-in-iran" rel="attachment wp-att-941483"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-941483" class="wp-image-941483 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/GettyImages-2221796560-864x576.jpg" alt="" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/GettyImages-2221796560-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/GettyImages-2221796560-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/GettyImages-2221796560-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/GettyImages-2221796560.jpg 1024w" sizes="(max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" /></a>KNOB NOSTER, MISSOURI &#8211; JUNE 23: A general view of signage at the entrance to the Whiteman Air Force Base on June 23, 2025 in Knob Noster, Missouri.  (Photo by Kyle Rivas/Getty Images)</div>
During an interview on “Sunday Morning Futures,” Fox News anchor Maria Bartiromo <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/pilots-of-b-2-bombers-that-hit-iran-nuclear-sites-coming-to-white-house-trump-says">discussed</a> the &#8220;courageous&#8221; pilots with Trump, and asked the president if he planned to honor them.
“Yes, they’re going to come to the White House,&#8221; Trump said. &#8220;But what you said is right. These people flew 36 hours in a small space, a big plane, but a small spaces mostly occupied by bombs, and they flew so brilliantly.&#8221;
“They hit a target the size of this circle … a little target, they say half the size of a refrigerator door from 50,000 feet up in the air,&#8221; he added. &#8220;Going at a rapid speed, because they’re going very fast when they’re over a pretty rough territory. And they hit it every single time. And then they knocked out two other sites aside from that.”
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During a news conference on Operation Midnight Hammer, Joint Chiefs Chairman Dan Caine shared that the B-2 bombers launched from the United States and refueled multiple times while in flight during the trip to Iranian airspace. The bombers struck targets at Fordo and Natanz, and United States submarines fired Tomahawk missiles that hit Isfahan moments later. The B-2 bombers returned home to Missouri after the attack.
“Those pilots went in there with those beautiful planes and the most sophisticated bombs anywhere in the world. Think of it, they can go 30 stories deep into granite. Who would think that’s even possible? And they did obliterate it, it turned out,” Trump said on Sunday.

President Trump Arrives Back At White House After Stay At Walter Reed Medical Center For Covid

Pilots Who Bombed Iran Will Come To White House On Fourth Of July

Fourth of July

Global Politics

Iran

White House

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt ripped into New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani, the self-described &#8220;Democratic Socialist&#8221; who bested disgraced former Governor Andrew Cuomo (D-NY) in the Democratic primary.
Leavitt addressed the controversy surrounding Mamdani — which has even some Democrats worried about the optics of endorsing him — and made it clear that, in the White House&#8217;s opinion, Mamdani was just another manifestation of the Democratic Party&#8217;s efforts to undermine &#8220;the very fabric of our country.&#8221;
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
🚨<a href="https://twitter.com/PressSec?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PressSec</a> BASHES Mayoral Candidate Zohran Mamdani:
&#8220;The Democrats are DOUBLING DOWN on craziness and radical policies that are undermining the very fabric of our country&#8230;Zohran Mamdani&#8230;a communist who proudly calls to defund the police, pedals anti-Semitism, praises… <a href="https://t.co/HUVT9JFlNi">pic.twitter.com/HUVT9JFlNi</a>
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) <a href="https://twitter.com/townhallcom/status/1939746035561373945?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 30, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;The Democrats are doubling down on craziness and radical policies that are undermining the very fabric of our country,&#8221; she began. &#8220;Just look at the Democrat nominee for New York City Mayor, Zohran Mamdani He&#8217;s a Democrat Socialist — really a communist — who proudly calls to defund the police, peddles antisemitism, praises pro-Hamas groups, wants Israel abolished, and believes wealthy Americans should not exist.&#8221;
&#8220;Those are his words, just as recent as this weekend,&#8221; Leavitt continued, referencing Mamdani&#8217;s appearance on NBC&#8217;s &#8220;Meet the Press.&#8221; During that interview, in spite of the fact that host Kristen Welker gave him three opportunities to do so, Mamdani could not being himself to condemn the phrase &#8220;globalize the intifada&#8221; — a phrase that Welker correctly explained was a call to violence against Jewish people. Mamdani shrugged off the question, claiming that he did not think it was his place to &#8220;police&#8221; the language others might choose.
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Mamdani&#8217;s history of backing anti-Israel protests and the &#8220;Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions&#8221; (BDS) against Israel may be what has even some New York Democrats feeling squeamish about offering their endorsement.
Rep. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/spin-cycle-how-do-you-solve-a-problem-like-mamdani">Hakeem Jeffries</a> (D-NY), whose district is 11% Jewish, told ABC News host Jonathan Karl on &#8220;This Week&#8221; that he didn&#8217;t know Mamdani well enough to endorse him right away.
&#8220;Globalizing the Intifada, by way of example, is not an acceptable phrasing,&#8221; Jeffries explained. &#8220;He’s going to have to clarify his position on that as he moves forward. With respect to the Jewish communities that I represent, I think our nominee is going to have to convince folks that he is prepared to aggressively address the rise in antisemitism in the city of New York, which has been an unacceptable development.&#8221;

‘Democrats Are Doubling Down On Craziness’: Leavitt Smokes Zohran Mamdani In Daily Presser

'The Democrats Are Doubling Down On Craziness': Leavitt Smokes Zohran Mamdani In Daily Presser

anti-Israel

antisemitism

Democratic Socialism

Socialism

Zohran Mamdani

WASHINGTON—President Donald Trump was in a great mood as he took the podium at a surprise White House press briefing on Friday.
His team called the briefing just after the Supreme Court upheld his executive order on birthright citizenship, ruling that lower courts do not have the authority to unilaterally block Trump’s agenda.
Not only that — the court also ruled Friday that schools violate religious liberty when they bar parents from opting their children out of classroom instruction involving LGBT-themed books, a major win for religious conservatives and for the Trump White House, which has championed parents and their right to decide what their children are taught.
Each ruling in and of itself would have been celebrated by the White House. But together, on the heels of Trump&#8217;s success negotiating a ceasefire between Israel and Iran, achieving a 5% defense pledge from NATO members, gas prices dropping to their lowest <a href="https://x.com/PressSec/status/1938232771509354514">since 2021</a>, and the stock market nearing <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/wall-street-rallies-sp-500-nears-record-high-as-middle-east-tensions-cool">record highs</a>, the news made Friday &#8220;a really big day&#8221; for Trump.
&#8220;We&#8217;ve had a big week,&#8221; Trump told the clamoring reporters in the James Brady Briefing Room.&#8221;We&#8217;ve had a big week, we&#8217;ve had a lot of victories this week.&#8221;
The past week has indeed been full of wins for the president, both at home and abroad. After the United States bombed key Iranian nuclear sites with Tomahawk missiles and 30,000-pound “bunker buster” bombs on Saturday, the president announced a ceasefire on Monday, strong-arming the two countries into a cessation of attacks on one another with a rare, emphatic f-bomb.
&#8220;They don&#8217;t know what the f**k they are doing,&#8221; an angry Trump told reporters shortly before getting on the phone with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The Trump administration <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/cnn-misconstruing-intelligence-to-undermine-successful-u-s-strike-in-iran-trump-officials-say?author=Mary+Margaret+Olohan&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=2&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=CNN+Misconstruing+Intelligence+To+Undermine+Successful+U.S.+Strike+In+Iran%2C+Trump+Officials+Say">maintains</a> that the Iranian nuclear sites were completely obliterated, and the White House has celebrated this as a massive win marred only by suggestions from legacy media outlets, led by CNN and the New York Times, that the United States failed to destroy Iran’s nuclear program and only set it back by months.
These outlets cited an &#8220;inconclusive, low confidence intelligence assessment &#8230; leaked from deep state intel analysis to deep state news,” an administration official told The Daily Wire earlier this week.
Since then, CIA Director John Ratcliffe <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/cia-reveals-intelligence-showing-u-s-destroyed-key-iranian-nuclear-facilities?author=Mary+Margaret+Olohan&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=1&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=CIA+Reveals+Intelligence+Showing+U.S.+%E2%80%98Destroyed%E2%80%99+Key+Iranian+Nuclear+Facilities">said</a> that the agency has new intelligence indicating “several key Iranian nuclear facilities were destroyed” by the recent American strikes; Director of National Intelligence&#8217;s Tulsi Gabbard cited “new intelligence” showing that “Iran’s nuclear facilities have been destroyed&#8221;; and the president himself excoriated CNN&#8217;s reporter who broke the story, Natasha Betrand, pointing to her reporting denouncing the Hunter Biden laptop story — which was completely true — as “Russian disinformation.”
Trump then headed to the Netherlands for the NATO summit, where he convinced the leaders of member states to raise defense spending to 5% of their country’s gross domestic product by 2035. That&#8217;s a major victory for the White House and the president, who called it a &#8220;tremendous victory,&#8221; and who has long demanded that “freeloading” NATO allies pay their fair share for their own security.
&#8220;Winning is easy when the most consequential president in history is back at the helm,&#8221; White House Assistant Press Secretary Taylor Rogers told The Daily Wire. &#8220;President Trump has restored America’s dominance on the world stage and kept the promises he made to over 77 million Americans across the country. America is hot again, and we aren’t tired of winning yet!”
As he spoke to reporters on Friday, Trump pointed to the next big White House goal: getting the &#8220;Big, Beautiful Bill&#8221; signed.
Trump has called for lawmakers to get the bill on his desk by July 4. At an event for the bill at the White House on Thursday, flanked by the parents of children killed by illegal aliens, Border Czar Tom Homan argued that holding up the bill is putting American lives at risk.
&#8220;Every day we arrest a public safety threat, it makes this country much safer,&#8221; he said. &#8220;Who the hell would be against that? I get pissed off because I&#8217;m sick of meeting Angel Moms and Dads. You want to talk about family separation? They buried their children.&#8221;
Trump called on the Senate to get the job done as he headed to the NATO summit earlier this week, even suggesting they lock themselves in a room if they must as they work with the House of Representatives to reach a deal.
His direction was clear: “Don’t go home.”
“It will be a Historic Present for THE GREAT PEOPLE OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, as we begin the Celebration of our Country’s 250th Birthday,” the president wrote in a Truth Social <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/114738729363742349" target="_blank" rel="noopener">post</a> on Tuesday. “We are finally entering our Golden Age, which will bring unprecedented Safety, Security, and Prosperity for ALL of our Citizens.”
“NO ONE GOES ON VACATION UNTIL IT’S DONE,” the president warned. And during the briefing on Friday, he suggested that Democrats who vote against the bill are &#8220;voting in favor&#8221; of the largest tax hike in the &#8220;history of our country.&#8221;

US President Donald Trump held a press conference at the White House

‘America Is Hot Again’: A Week Of Wins For The Trump White House

Benjamin Netanyahu

NATO

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt jabbed at members of the press corps during a Thursday briefing as she touted the success of Operation Midnight Hammer.
Leavitt’s regularly-scheduled briefing came just hours after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth hosted a news conference to clear up confusion surrounding the United States military’s strikes on Iranian Nuclear facilities — confusion that was due in large part to a CNN report based on a “preliminary” intelligence assessment.
Leavitt began by reiterating the points made by Hegseth during that news conference, saying that the intended targets — three major nuclear facilities in Iran — had been rendered inoperable after the strikes.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
. <a href="https://twitter.com/PressSec?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PressSec</a> &quot;The objective of OPERATION MIDNIGHT HAMMER was to destroy the regime’s nuclear enrichment capacity and stop the grave nuclear threat posed to the United States, Israel, and the rest of the free world.
The mission was an OVERWHELMING SUCCESS!&quot; <a href="https://t.co/wMh627jl4b">pic.twitter.com/wMh627jl4b</a>
&mdash; DOD Rapid Response (@DODResponse) <a href="https://twitter.com/DODResponse/status/1938285143254270255?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 26, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
“The objective of Operation Midnight Hammer was to destroy the regime’s nuclear enrichment capacity and stop the grave nuclear threat posed to the United States, Israel, and the rest of the free world,” Leavitt said. “The mission was an overwhelming success!”
The press secretary also praised the military for not only carrying out the mission successfully, but for doing so without anyone giving the game away.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
. <a href="https://twitter.com/PressSec?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PressSec</a> &quot;This was one of the most secretive and successful operations in United States history. I think many of you in this room would agree with that because
 NONE OF YOU KNEW ABOUT THE STRIKE UNTIL IT TOOK PLACE!&quot; <a href="https://t.co/9kzeKOgNmk">pic.twitter.com/9kzeKOgNmk</a>
&mdash; DOD Rapid Response (@DODResponse) <a href="https://twitter.com/DODResponse/status/1938286295039525019?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 26, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
“This was one of the most secretive and successful operations in United States history. I think many of you in this room would agree with that because none of you knew about the strike until it took place,” Leavitt added.
The press secretary also called out CNN reporter Natasha Bertrand — who reported on the preliminary intelligence assessment that claimed the targets were not truly destroyed — reminding others in the room of Bertrand’s connection to legacy media attempts to cast doubt on the Hunter Biden laptop story.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
🚨WOW — <a href="https://twitter.com/PressSec?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PressSec</a> absolutely obliterates this Fake News CNN reporter after she leaked false intelligence about the strikes.
The reporter in question? Natasha Bertrand — a repeat offender when it comes to pushing disinformation:
&#8211; Claimed the Hunter Biden laptop story was… <a href="https://t.co/jFYWkqdyUx">pic.twitter.com/jFYWkqdyUx</a>
&mdash; Townhall.com (@townhallcom) <a href="https://twitter.com/townhallcom/status/1938302008076697881?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 26, 2025</a></blockquote>
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“This is a reporter who has been &#8230; used by people who dislike Donald Trump in this government to push fake and false narratives. She should be ashamed of herself. That is not what reporting is. Journalists are trained to find the facts and the truth,” Leavitt said.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt

‘None Of You Knew’: Leavitt Tweaks Press Over How ‘Secretive’ Operation Midnight Hammer Was

Operation Midnight Hammer

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt set the record straight after CNN reported over the weekend that the Trump administration did not provide advanced notice of the United States&#8217;s strike on three Iranian nuclear sites to Democrat leaders in Congress.
On Fox News, Leavitt said there was, in fact, outreach to both Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), and the White House had the receipts to prove it.
&#8220;The White House made calls to congressional leadership. They were bipartisan calls. In fact, Hakeem Jeffries couldn&#8217;t be reached. We tried him before the strike and he didn&#8217;t pick up the phone,&#8221; Leavitt said during a &#8220;Fox &amp; Friends&#8221; <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SidHwZUl8RY" target="_blank" rel="noopener">interview</a>.
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.<a href="https://twitter.com/PressSec?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PressSec</a>: &#8220;The White House made calls to congressional leadership. They were bipartisan calls. In fact, <a href="https://twitter.com/RepJeffries?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RepJeffries</a> couldn&#8217;t be reached. We tried him before the strike and he didn&#8217;t pick up the phone.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/9NLotvijX7">pic.twitter.com/9NLotvijX7</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1937130681194451127?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 23, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Leavitt added that Jeffries was ultimately briefed after the strike, while Schumer was advised beforehand.
&#8220;This notion that CNN ran with that the White House did not give a heads up to Democrats is just completely false,&#8221; Leavitt said. &#8220;In fact, both Sen. Schumer&#8217;s office and CNN had to retract that story last night because it was a blatant lie and we showed them the timestamps from those phone calls.&#8221;
CNN did initially <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20250622041816/https://www.cnn.com/2025/06/21/politics/republicans-democrats-iran-strikes-briefings" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> that no top Democrats were told of Trump&#8217;s plans until after the attack, but later <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2025/06/21/politics/republicans-democrats-iran-strikes-briefings" target="_blank" rel="noopener">updated</a> its headline and issued a correction to note that Schumer did receive a call prior to the strike after Leavitt initially <a href="https://x.com/PressSec/status/1936900039752012235" target="_blank" rel="noopener">called out</a> the news outlet on X.
Its revised story said that a source &#8220;conceded&#8221; Schumer had been called a little less than an hour before the attack &#8220;with little detail&#8221; and no mention of which country in which the action was taking place. NBC News reporter Julie Tsirkin <a href="https://x.com/news_jul/status/1936968929051898044" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cited</a> a Schumer aide who called the notification &#8220;perfunctory.&#8221;
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) defended Trump’s strike on Iran&#8217;s nuclear infrastructure and contended that top members of the legislature were notified.
&#8220;The President made the right call, and did what he needed to do. Leaders in Congress were aware of the urgency of this situation and the Commander-in-Chief evaluated that the imminent danger outweighed the time it would take for Congress to act,&#8221; Johnson <a href="https://x.com/SpeakerJohnson/status/1936602051431063760" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> on X.
He added: &#8220;The world’s largest state sponsor of terrorism, which chants ‘Death to America,’ simply could not be allowed the opportunity to obtain and use nuclear weapons. The President fully respects the Article I power of Congress, and tonight’s necessary, limited, and targeted strike follows the history and tradition of similar military actions under presidents of both parties.&#8221;

Leavitt Debunks ‘Completely False’ Report That Top Dems Not Given Advanced Notice Of Iran Strikes

Chuck Schumer

Congress

Hakeem Jeffries

Mike Johnson

Nuclear Weapons

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt roasted Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX) from the briefing room on Thursday, mocking her over her recent suggestion that President Donald Trump&#8217;s supporters suffered from mental illness.
Leavitt laid into the Texas Democrat in response to a question from The Daily Wire&#8217;s own Mary Margaret Olohan, who mentioned Crockett&#8217;s comments: &#8220;She said Trump supporters are &#8216;mentally ill&#8217; before calling for bipartisan support against the president. Can you respond to that, especially since she&#8217;s a rising star in the Democratic Party right now?&#8221;
WATCH:
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Karoline Leavitt and <a href="https://twitter.com/MaryMargOlohan?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MaryMargOlohan</a> rip into Jasmine Crockett:
&#8220;I think it&#8217;s incredibly derogatory to accuse nearly 80 million Americans of mental illness. Last time I checked, Jasmine Crockett couldn&#8217;t dream of winning such a majority of the public.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/mJCftlHdDh">pic.twitter.com/mJCftlHdDh</a>
— Media Research Center (@theMRC) <a href="https://twitter.com/theMRC/status/1935757318915838206?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 19, 2025</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;She is a rising star,&#8221; Leavitt responded with a smile. &#8220;It&#8217;s quite something to behold, actually. I hope that she continues to be a rising star, for the Republican Party at least.&#8221;
&#8220;I think it&#8217;s incredibly derogatory to accuse nearly 80 million Americans of mental illness. Last time I checked, Jasmine Crockett couldn&#8217;t dream of winning such a majority of the public as President Trump did,&#8221; Leavitt continued. &#8220;And the America First movement, which President Trump has built, is filled with hard-working patriots, forgotten men and women, business owners, law enforcement officers, nurses, and teachers, and middle America, as we all know, from where you all grew up outside of this beltway.&#8221;
&#8220;That&#8217;s who makes up this president&#8217;s movement, and Jasmine Crockett should go to a Trump call sometime and she can see it for herself,&#8221; Leavitt added.
Crockett raised eyebrows when she told Katie Couric, on her &#8220;Next Question&#8221; podcast, that widespread support for President Trump was essentially proof positive that the United States was dealing with a &#8220;mental health crisis.&#8221;
&#8220;We&#8217;ve got a mental health crisis in this country because everyone — no matter how you affiliate yourself — should be against Trump. Period. This is not partisan for me. Like, I would give anything to have — sad to say — George Bush. Like, give me any regular Republican nowadays, and I would be happy,&#8221; Crockett said. &#8220;I don&#8217;t know how far he has to go before we can come together and just say, &#8216;Enough is enough.&#8217; Like, this should not be partisanship.&#8221;

Karoline Leavitt Roasts Jasmine Crockett In Press Room: ‘I Hope She Continues To Be A Rising Star’

Karoline Leavitt Roasts Jasmine Crockett In Press Room: 'I Hope She Continues To Be A Rising Star'

Jasmine Crockett

Mental Illness

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt concisely dismissed a reporter on Wednesday when she was asked if the president supports the right to peaceful protest.
The moment came during a press briefing at the White House on Wednesday. Asked to clarify what kind of protest President Donald Trump “would find acceptable,” Leavitt drew the line at violence.
“The president absolutely supports peaceful protests. He supports the First Amendment. He supports the right of Americans to make their voices heard,” said Leavitt.
“He does not support violence of any kind. He does not support assaulting law enforcement officers who are simply trying to do their job. It&#8217;s very clear for the president what he supports and what he does not,” she continued. “Unfortunately for Democrats, that line has not been made clear, and they&#8217;ve allowed this unrest and this violence to continue, and the president has had to step in.”
Asked if the president would support peaceful protesting during the military parade scheduled for Saturday, Leavitt dismissed the question.
“Of course, the president supports peaceful protests. What a stupid question,” she said before moving on to the next reporter.
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Q: So if there were peaceful protests on Saturday for the military parade the president would allow that?
.<a href="https://twitter.com/PressSec?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PressSec</a> Karoline Leavitt: &quot;Of course the president supports peaceful protests. What a stupid question.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/QzjOIVoUlJ">pic.twitter.com/QzjOIVoUlJ</a>
&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1932855151125278761?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 11, 2025</a></blockquote>
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On Tuesday, Trump said in remarks from the Oval Office that protesters during the parade to honor the United States’ 250th birthday would be met with “great force.” He made the threat after detailing the violence and riots that have broken out in Los Angeles in recent days, and praising military personnel and law enforcement that have stepped up to restore law and order to the area.
“For those people that want to protest, they’re going to be met with very big force,” <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/10/us/politics/trump-military-parade-protests.html">said</a> Trump. “And I haven’t even heard about a protest, but you know, this is people that hate our country, but they will be met with very heavy force.”
The president also <a href="https://x.com/GuntherEagleman/status/1932476296329658709">said</a> that money is behind some of the violence going on in Los Angeles. Trump said that some of the demonstrators “are paid insurrectionists. These are paid troublemakers.”

‘What A Stupid Question’: Leavitt Clobbers Reporter Asking If Prez Supports Peaceful Protests

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt issued a stark warning to any potential protesters who had a mind to engage in the same sort of violence and vandalism that has been seen in Los Angeles over the last several days, saying from the press room podium: &#8220;You will not succeed.&#8221;
Leavitt&#8217;s warning comes after five days of violent protests and riots in Los Angeles, sparked by protesters who were attempting to prevent U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents from doing their jobs and arresting criminal illegal aliens. The anti-ICE rioters have damaged property and attacked both local law enforcement officers and federal agents, prompting President Donald Trump to mobilize a number of California National Guard troops and U.S. Marines to get the situation under control.
WATCH:
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.<a href="https://twitter.com/PressSec?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PressSec</a>: &#8220;Let this be an unequivocal message to left-wing radicals in other parts of the country who are thinking about copycatting the violence in an effort to stop this administration&#8217;s mass deportation efforts: you will NOT succeed.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/bi7mzg4iR1">pic.twitter.com/bi7mzg4iR1</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1932851328058860008?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 11, 2025</a></blockquote>
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As the weekend approaches with protests already popping up in other cities across the United States, Leavitt warned would-be protesters that it would be in their best interest not to make the same mistakes that some in California had in interfering with the work of federal agents who were enforcing the law.
&#8220;Let this be an unequivocal message to left-wing radicals in other parts of the country who are thinking about copycatting the violence in an effort to stop this administration&#8217;s mass deportation efforts: you will NOT succeed,&#8221; she said. &#8220;Any lawlessness will only strengthen this president&#8217;s resolve to defend the majority of Americans who want to live their lives peacefully, free from the fear of violent criminal illegal aliens.&#8221;
&#8220;As President Trump said, &#8216;Order will be maintained, and illegal aliens will be expelled from our country,'&#8221; she concluded.

Press Sec Warns Anyone Planning To Copy L.A.’s Violence And Chaos: ‘You Will Not Succeed’

Press Sec Warns Anyone Planning To Copy L.A.'s Violence And Chaos: 'You Will Not Succeed'

California

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)

Los Angeles

Riots

The White House roundly rejected a Wednesday morning report from The Washington Post claiming that President Donald Trump&#8217;s administration was planning to send a number of illegal aliens to the infamous prison at Guantánamo Bay Naval Base in Cuba.
Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt referred to the <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2025/06/10/trump-guantanamo-deportations/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> — which cited unnamed &#8220;U.S. officials familiar with the matter&#8221; — as &#8220;Fake News,&#8221; and declared that it was &#8220;not happening.&#8221;
&#8220;This story is Fake News. Not happening,&#8221; she said.
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This story is Fake News. Not happening. <a href="https://t.co/cxzPLkql0S">https://t.co/cxzPLkql0S</a>
— Karoline Leavitt (@PressSec) <a href="https://twitter.com/PressSec/status/1932759627571060790?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 11, 2025</a></blockquote>
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According to The Washington Post&#8217;s report, the White House is &#8220;preparing to send thousands of foreigners to the infamous detention facility, including people from Britain, France and Italy, with no intent to notify their home governments.&#8221;
Citing anonymous officials — and claiming those officials provided the outlet with documents — the report said that those who could potentially be sent to Guantanamo Bay included a number from Haiti but also included &#8220;hundreds from friendly European nations, including Britain, Italy, France, Germany, Ireland, Belgium, the Netherlands, Lithuania, Poland, Turkey and Ukraine.&#8221;
The Post claimed that the officials had insisted on remaining anonymous &#8220;because the matter is considered highly sensitive.&#8221;
Some of the alleged plans outlined by The Post included preparations for medical screenings for up to 9,000 people – and the piece was careful to hedge by noting that the plans were &#8220;subject to change.&#8221; The Post attributed the push to move illegals to Guantanamo Bay to &#8220;immigration hard-liners&#8221; within the Trump administration who were pressuring Trump to ramp up deportations.
Leavitt was not the only one to call out The Post&#8217;s assertions. Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell added, &#8220;This is [100%] Fake News.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
This is 💯 Fake News. <a href="https://t.co/3sRNfCH0GD">https://t.co/3sRNfCH0GD</a>
— Sean Parnell (@SeanParnellUSA) <a href="https://twitter.com/SeanParnellUSA/status/1932760299888578853?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 11, 2025</a></blockquote>
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But others, like Marc Thiessen, who served as a speechwriter for President George W. Bush, noted that the practice was not exactly unprecedented. &#8220;The Clinton administration housed migrants at Gitmo long before the war on terror,&#8221; he said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
The Clinton administration housed migrants at Gitmo long before the war on terror. <a href="https://t.co/UpNfTK49BJ">https://t.co/UpNfTK49BJ</a>
— Marc Thiessen 🇺🇸❤️🇺🇦🇹🇼🇮🇱 (@marcthiessen) <a href="https://twitter.com/marcthiessen/status/1932565230330261888?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 10, 2025</a></blockquote>
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US-NEWS-MIGRANTS-GUANTANAMO-BAY-MI

White House Says It’s Not Sending Illegals To Guantanamo: ‘100% Fake News’

Fake News

Guantanamo Bay

Illegal Immigration

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