White House Press Secretary Confronted Over Deleted Social Media Controversies
During Tuesday's White House press briefing, press secretary Karine Leavitt faced uncomfortable questions regarding two controversial social media messages that were posted and subsequently deleted by the Trump administration in recent days. The exchange highlighted growing concerns about the administration's social media practices and messaging discipline.
Controversial Posts Spark Outrage and Questions
A journalist specifically asked Leavitt about a racist video shared by President Donald Trump on his Truth Social platform and a separate post by Vice President JD Vance. Both posts were later removed from public view, but not before generating significant controversy.
Trump's social media post featured former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama depicted in what appeared to be cartoon chimpanzee and gorilla imagery during a fleeting moment within a longer video about alleged voter fraud. The offensive imagery sparked outrage across the political spectrum, drawing condemnation from both Democratic and Republican figures.
Vance's deleted post, made during an official trip to Armenia, appeared to recognize the Armenian genocide. This position directly contradicted the Trump administration's official policy stance on the matter, creating diplomatic complications and internal consistency issues.
Conflicting Explanations and Administration Response
Initial explanations from the administration blamed staffers for both controversial posts. However, President Trump later clarified that he had personally approved the post about the Obamas before its publication, though he claimed he had not seen the highly offensive moment within the video.
During the briefing, the journalist pressed Leavitt with pointed questions: "Does the White House have a social media problem at the moment?" and "Do you have an autoposting problem that's leading to these mistakes?"
Leavitt responded with a simple "No" to both queries. The press secretary notably avoided addressing Trump's post about the Obamas entirely during her response.
Official Position Maintained Despite Controversy
Regarding Vance's Armenian genocide post, Leavitt stated: "As for the Armenian tweet that you're referring to, I would just refer you back to the White House's message that was issued on Armenian Remembrance Day. And there's been no change of policy at this time."
This response reinforced the administration's official position while distancing the White House from Vance's contradictory social media activity. The incident raises broader questions about social media governance within the executive branch and how administration officials coordinate their public messaging across different platforms.
The deleted posts and subsequent press briefing exchange underscore ongoing challenges the Trump administration faces in maintaining message discipline while navigating the immediacy and potential pitfalls of social media communication at the highest levels of government.
