Karoline Leavitt Shuts Down AP Reporter in Fiery Briefing Room Clash—Turns Media Controversy Into a Powerful Stand for Transparency and Truth

In a headline-making press briefing, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt delivered a fierce rebuke to an Associated Press reporter, turning what began as a question about social media harassment into a full-throated defense of truth and integrity. The exchange came just days after the AP was blocked from an Oval Office event, despite a court ruling granting them access. Leavitt accused the outlet of spreading misinformation, calling their claims about a government agency’s alleged Facebook activity “more fake news,” and pointed out that the agency doesn’t even have a Facebook page—leaving the room stunned.

Curious what really happened? Watch the full exchange and see how Karoline took control of the narrative. 👇👇

It has been reported that journalists from the Associated Press were blocked from entering the Oval Office of the White House during U.S. President Donald Trump’s meeting with the El Salvadoran president Nayib Bukele. (Image: AP)

It has been reported that journalists from the Associated Press were blocked from entering the Oval Office of the White House during U.S. President Donald Trump’s meeting with the El Salvadoran president Nayib Bukele. The blockage comes after the news outlet sought an injunction against the president after he barred them from the White House.

The AP’s lack of credentials was initially noticed by Washington Post reporter Jeremy Barr, who posted a photo of who would be involved in the president’s gaggle of reporters for Monday and noted that the AP was not listed. “Even though the injunction is now in effect, the AP is not included in the pool tomorrow,” wrote Barr.

“Another big test is whether they will be admitted to White House events throughout the day,” he added. On Monday, Barr wrote, “A little while ago, the AP was also blocked from attending an Oval Office meeting, despite the injunction.”

“Our journalists were blocked from the Oval Office today,” a spokesperson for the outlet told Barr. “We expect the White House to restore AP’s participation in the pool as of today, as provided in the injunction order.”

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It was reported last week that a federal judge in Washington, DC has granted a preliminary injunction in favor of the Associated Press, blocking the Trump administration from barring the news agency from attending media events at the White House. The ruling comes after the AP was excluded from covering events in the Oval Office and East Room – and led to a very tense exchange.

The order from U.S. District Judge Trevor McFadden, who Trump appointed during his first term, requires the White House to allow the AP’s journalists to access the Oval Office, Air Force One, and events held at the White House while the AP’s lawsuit moves forward. The judge’s decision forces the Trump administration to allow the AP access to critical White House events, marking a major legal victory for press freedom.

The Associated Press had filed the motion after being denied access to high-profile events, arguing the ban violated the First Amendment. The media outlet sued three senior Trump aides in February, alleging the restrictions were an attempt to coerce the press into using the administration’s preferred language.

AP’s lawsuit alleged the restrictions violated protections under the U.S. Constitution for free speech and due process since the AP could not challenge the ban. The ruling is seen as a significant step in the ongoing legal battles over media access to the U.S. government, highlighting tensions between the press and the administration over transparency.

The blockage also comes after press secretary Karoline Leavitt sparred viciously with a reporter from the outlet during her weekly press briefing. In response to the news that “one employee said they were harassed on Facebook” by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) “prior to being fired”, Leavitt said AP’s report was “more fake news” and added that “DOGE doesn’t even have a Facebook page”.