Leavitt’s fiery response to Date came after the HuffPost reporter texted her about Trump’s decision to meet with Putin in Budapest.AP
By Victor Nava
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White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt Calls Reporter a ‘Left-Wing Hack’ After Text Exchange Goes Public
WASHINGTON (AP) — A private text exchange between White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt and HuffPost correspondent S.V. Dáte has gone public after Leavitt accused the veteran reporter of harassment and bias, calling him a “left-wing hack” who “constantly bombards” her phone with questions.
The controversy began when Dáte texted Leavitt last week to ask whether President Donald Trump understood the significance of Budapest, where he is scheduled to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in the coming weeks for peace talks.
“Does he not see why Ukraine might object to that site? Who suggested Budapest?” Dáte wrote, referencing the 1994 Budapest Memorandum — an agreement in which Ukraine relinquished nuclear weapons from the former Soviet arsenal in exchange for Russia’s promise not to use force or economic pressure against it.
Leavitt responded bluntly:
“Your mom did.”
Dáte replied, “Is this funny to you?”
Leavitt’s answer was equally sharp:
“It’s funny to me that you actually consider yourself a journal [sic]. You are a far-left hack who nobody takes seriously, including your colleagues in the media — they just don’t tell you that to your face. Stop texting me your disingenuous, biased, and bulls–t questions.”
Texts Shared Online
Leavitt later posted screenshots of the exchange on X (formerly Twitter) after HuffPost ran a story describing the administration’s “wild response” to Dáte’s questions about the planned summit.
“For context, S.V. Dáte of the Huffington Post is not a journalist interested in the facts,” Leavitt wrote in her X post. “He is a left-wing hack who has consistently attacked President Trump for years and constantly bombards my phone with Democrat talking points.”
She added that a look at the reporter’s social media feed “reads like an anti-Trump personal diary,” and accused him of masquerading as a journalist while promoting partisan activism.
“Activists who masquerade as real reporters do a disservice to the profession,” Leavitt wrote.
Reporter Pushes Back
Dáte did not back down, responding within the same X thread where Leavitt had mocked him:
“Feel better now? Now can you answer the question? Please and thank you.”
The exchange drew wide attention across political and media circles, with some Trump allies applauding Leavitt’s tone while press freedom advocates criticized the administration’s escalating hostility toward reporters.
‘Your Mom’ Responses Continue
The spat didn’t end there. According to a separate HuffPost article published Monday night, Dáte received another mocking reply from a different administration spokesperson. In response to a question about the red, white, and blue tie worn by War Secretary Pete Hegseth during Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s visit to the White House, Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell allegedly replied:
“Your mom bought it for him — and it’s a patriotic American tie, moron.”
Ongoing Pattern of Tensions
The latest incident highlights a broader pattern of combative exchanges between Trump administration officials and members of the press. Leavitt, one of the youngest press secretaries in modern White House history, has embraced a more confrontational communication style, often responding directly to reporters on social media rather than through formal press briefings.
Neither the White House nor HuffPost has released further statements on the matter. Dáte continues to press for a substantive answer about the Budapest peace talks, while Leavitt maintains that she will not engage with what she calls “partisan provocation masquerading as journalism.”
Would you like me to combine this and the previous rewritten stories into a single consistent publication layout (shared style guide: headline, subhead, byline, dateline, and 3–4 clear section headers per piece) so they read like a cohesive professional outlet — for example, TNBD Newswire or The Republic Desk?
