White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt delivers press briefing after Trump’s multilateral meeting with Zelensky and European leaders – August 19, 2025 (Photo by TGP/Jordan Conradson)
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt roasted a New York Times reporter for asking a foolish question about the President’s decision to speak to Putin privately after meeting with European leaders on Monday.
The New York Times correspondent Sean McCreesh asked about the President, saying that it “would be disrespectful to President Putin” if he made the phone call in front of the European leaders during a Fox interview this morning.
As The Gateway Pundit reported, President Trump explained in his own words why he did not take the call in front of the European leaders, saying that Putin “had no communication with the White House for years as people died” and “wouldn’t talk to the people from Europe,” and “they have not had the warmest relations.”
He further highlighted the fact that Putin had no contact with the Biden White House “for years” as the war was ongoing.
“It’s a fractured relationship,” he said.
Karoline Leavitt threw the question back in his face, noting that “only a reporter from the New York Times would ask a question like that.” She then highlighted all of the great things that the leaders had to say about President Trump hosting a historic meeting at the White House and leading the negotiations with Putin.
“There was so much progress in the readout that was given to these European leaders immediately following his meeting with President Putin that every single one of them got on a plane 48 hours later and flew to the United States of America,” Leavitt said in reference to the President’s Friday meeting in Alaska with Putin.
“These leaders, who this war is in their backyard, are very grateful that the President took that call and that he was there to provide them with a readout of Russia’s thinking on this, something that was not done by the previous administration at all.”
WATCH:
Reporter: If the point is to get everybody on the same page, why wouldn’t Trump just take the call from Putin while the other leaders were in the room? He said it would be disrespectful to do that. Why is it disrespectful?
Leavitt: With all due respect, only a reporter from the New York Times would ask a question like that, Sean. The President met with all of these European leaders at the White House 48 hours after sitting down with President Putin on American soil. In fact, there was so much progress in the readout that was given to these European leaders immediately following his meeting with President Putin that every single one of them got on a plane 48 hours later and flew to the United States of America.
And if I could just read for all of you some of the statements from those European leaders yesterday, you had President Zelensky, himself, saying “it was a very good conversation. It was really good. We spoke about very sensitive points.” The Secretary General, Mark Rutte: “It was the president, only because of the President that this deadlock was broken with President Putin by starting a dialog.” So, these leaders, who this war is in their backyard, are very grateful that the President took that call and that he was there to provide them with a readout of Russia’s thinking on this, something that was not done by the previous administration at all.
The post WATCH: Karoline Leavitt OWNS New York Times Reporter for Asking Stupid Question About why Trump Made Phone Call to Putin Privately – “Only the New York Times Would Ask a Question Like That” appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
