Karoline Leavitt, White House Press Secretary, given a nasty new nickname after her first briefing by CNN; here's what it is

The newly appointed White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt got a nasty new nickname from CNN after her first press briefing, as per a Daily Mail report.

White House press secretary gets a nickname

CNN called her "spinmeister", as per the report. The title was given due to the way Leavitt handled questions regarding a recent federal grants and loans freeze, a subject that led to confusion during her first briefing, reported Daily Mail.

The network's fact-checker Daniel Dale accused the press secretary of deflecting crucial details when asked about the impact of the spending freeze, according to the report.


Leavitt was repeatedly asked about the spending freeze and said payments for Social Security, Medicare and food stamps would not be affected, reported Daily Mail.

When asked about nonprofit programs like "Meals on Wheels", which rely on federal funding, Leavitt did not answer properly, sparking criticism. He pointed out that many nonprofits are dependent on federal aid and still lack clarity on their funding.

"It’s a classic spinmeister tactic saying I answered that when you haven’t answered it and apparently can’t answer it right away," quoted the Daily Mail report.

Confusion about federal grants

The confusion came amid the Trump administration’s attempt to pause trillions in federal grants to ensure federal spending aligned with president Donald Trump's recent executive orders to abolish the Biden administration’s DEI agenda.

After the announcement of this initiative, payments froze across various sectors and caused temporary shutdowns of Medicaid portals, as per the report. Aid groups said lives were in danger as critical funding for vaccines and other health issues was frozen.

Changes in White House press room

Leavitt also used her first briefing to introduce several changes, including the creation of "new media" seats in the press room, aimed at increasing transparency and offering independent journalists more opportunities to ask questions. She expressed strong views on media trust, suggesting that many traditional outlets had spread misinformation and pledging to call out misleading reports.

FAQs

Why did CNN nickname Karoline Leavitt as "spinmeister"?
CNN labelled Leavitt "spinmeister" after she avoided giving clear answers about the impact of the federal grant freeze, especially for nonprofits.

What changes did Leavitt make in the White House press room?
Leavitt introduced "new media" seats for independent journalists to ask questions, aiming to bring more diversity and transparency to the briefing.