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Former White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said that some reporters covering the White House privately apologized to her for asking questions they acknowledged were “unfair.”
Leavitt made the comments on the latest episode of “Hang Out with Sean Hannity” while discussing the “performative” nature of press briefings.
“There’s been times reporters have even said to me, ‘I’m sorry I had to ask that today. My bosses really wanted me to ask that, they know it’s an unfair question,’” she said, without naming names.
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Members of the media raise their hands to ask questions, as White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt holds a press briefing at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., June 30, 2025. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein (Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters)
Leavitt, who frequently sparred with reporters during her tenure as press secretary, argued that journalists at major news organizations are often beholden to the demands of their superiors.
“The reporters are controlled by their bosses …They’re not in control of their own livelihood,” she told host Sean Hannity. “They are dictated by the editors and the execs at some of these companies.”
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Leavitt said both the media and administration officials behind the podium contribute to political theatrics in the briefing room.
“There’s a performative aspect to the briefing room,” she conceded. “In fairness, I think on both sides, right? But definitely with the press. And they have to do that because their bosses are demanding it.”
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt takes questions during a press briefing in the Brady Briefing Room of the White House in Washington, DC, on March 10, 2026. (Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images)
Despite frequently clashing with reporters, including CNN’s Kaitlan Collins, and sometimes referring to other members of the press as “left-wing hacks,” Leavitt said she has no ill will toward journalists.
“I don’t hate anyone,” she insisted. “There are some I enjoy less than others. I’ll say that… There’s some that I just don’t take seriously because they are just left-wing hacks, as I would call them in the briefing room.”
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Leavitt credited “a few” solid reporters but refrained from naming them, concerned that if she did, she would “kill their career.”
She also said she has observed what she considers positive shifts in leadership at some major news organizations, pointing to “a lot of improvement” at CBS, while still claiming bias elsewhere.
CNN correspondent Kaitlan Collins sparred with White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt at times during Leavitt’s tenure. (Mandel Ngan / AFP via Getty Images; Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
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“We’re seeing some changes at some networks, but most of them are controlled by far-left liberals who live in New York or D.C., and they dictate what’s asked and what’s written,” Leavitt argued.
“We are not asking for like positive puff pieces every day, just fairness, truth, accuracy, just telling a story or writing about factual information,” she added.
Leavitt’s full interview on the latest episode “Hang Out with Sean Hannity” is available on YouTube, Spotify and Apple.