Karoline Leavitt, Trump’s new White House press secretary, is making headlines for all the wrong reasons — again. This time, she lashed out at a reporter for daring to ask whether peaceful protests would be allowed at Trump’s birthday military parade.
The exchange happened during a Wednesday briefing ahead of the $45 million bash in Washington, D.C., which will mark the Army’s 250th birthday and Donald Trump’s own.
But when journalist Jasmine Wright asked a pretty straightforward question about First Amendment rights, things got heated.
🚨 “What a stupid question,” Leavitt says
Trump has already warned protesters that they’ll be met with “very heavy force.” So naturally, Wright asked Leavitt to clarify which kinds of protests the president does support.
Leavitt responded:
“The president absolutely supports peaceful protests. He supports the First Amendment… He does not support violence of any kind.”
But when Wright followed up, asking specifically whether peaceful protests during Saturday’s parade would be permitted, Leavitt lost patience.
“Of course, the president supports peaceful protests. What a stupid question.”
The comment quickly went viral — and not in a good way.
🪖 A parade… and a warning
The high-budget parade will feature tanks, troops, and military flyovers — all on Trump’s birthday. But his Oval Office comments on Tuesday raised eyebrows.
“If there’s any protest… they will be met with very big force,” he said. “People that hate our country — they will be met with very heavy force.”
Critics argue the message blurs the line between legitimate dissent and government suppression, with one user writing on X:
“The military isn’t supposed to be a political prop.”
But judging by Leavitt’s response, don’t expect much room for debate.
You can watch it below:
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