Washington: White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt on Monday, October 20, engaged in a heated exchange with a Huffington Post journalist after being questioned about the location of an upcoming summit between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The incident took place when SV Dte, a veteran political reporter known for his critical coverage of Trump, texted Leavitt to ask who had selected the venue for the Trump–Putin meeting, expected to take place in Budapest. Leavitt, in an apparent retort, replied, “Your mum did.”
The exchange quickly spread online after Leavitt shared a screenshot of her response on X. “For context, SV Dte of the Huffington Post is not a journalist interested in the facts. He is a left-wing hack who has consistently attacked President Trump for years and constantly bombards my phone with Democrat talking points,” she wrote.
Leavitt continued her post with further criticism of the reporter, adding, “Just take a look at Date’s feed, it reads like an anti-Trump personal diary. Activists who masquerade as real reporters do a disservice to the profession.”
The White House has yet to confirm the exact date or venue for the high-stakes Trump–Putin meeting, though it is expected to take place within the next two weeks. The leaders last met in Alaska on August 15, where discussions on ending the war in Ukraine reportedly stalled after Putin declined Trump’s proposal for an immediate ceasefire.
Ukraine responds as summit details awaited
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said his recent discussions with Trump in Washington were “positive,” saying that Kyiv is preparing a contract for 25 Patriot air defence systems following the talks.
“After many rounds of discussion over more than two hours with (Trump) and his team, his message, in my view, is positive: that we stand where we stand on the front line,” Zelenskyy said.
The upcoming Trump–Putin summit is expected to focus on finding a framework for a ceasefire and discussing new terms for US–Russia coordination on security and sanctions, though no official agenda has been released.
