Karoline Leavitt gets fiery as she's pressed on Trump's military response to Los Angeles protests
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt got into a heated back and forth with reporters on Wednesday as she held her first briefing since President Donald Trump' federalized the National Guard in California and sent active-duty Marines to join them in cracking down on protests and unrest over immigration roundups in Los Angeles.
Leavitt condemned the protests as 'shameful,' citing what she described as 'left-wing radicals waving foreign flags' who she accused of 'viciously attacking' Immigrations and Customs Enforcement officers and Border Patrol agents as well as Los Angeles Police Department officers as part of an assault on 'American culture and society itself.'
Leavitt also condemned Democratic elected officials in the Golden State, specifically Gov. Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, accusing them of having 'shamefully failed to meet their sworn obligations to their citizens' by not ordering a forceful military response to protesters.
She also lauded Trump for ordering the 'mob' of protesters to be 'stamped out.'
'The criminals responsible will be swiftly brought to justice, and the Trump administration's operations to arrest illegal aliens are continuing unabated,' Leavitt said. She added that Newsom and Bass had sided 'with illegal alien criminals in their communities and violent rioters and looters over law enforcement officers who are just doing their jobs.'
But Leavitt's pugnacious attacks on California leaders did not satisfy reporters, who repeatedly asked her about the extent to which the military service members who've been deployed in Los Angeles are authorized to aid in immigration law enforcement, nor did she fully explain how Trump's threats to use 'very big force' against protesters at his planned military parade in D.C. this weekend comport with America's constitutional guarantees of free speech.
She also aggressively denied that the immigration crackdown that precipitated the protests and violence over the weekend had been ordered up in an effort to change the national conversation from Trump's messy split with billionaire Elon Musk, the Tesla and SpaceX boss who wrapped up a stint as an unpaid adviser to the administration late last month.
Asked about the possibility that Trump's crackdown was meant as a distraction to their social media war, Leavitt replied: 'That's an incredibly disingenuous attack.'
She said Trump had been moved by 'images of border patrol and ICE agents being hailed with rocks and Molotov cocktails' and 'vehicles being burned to the ground with illegal aliens flying foreign flags.'
Leavitt's press briefing came less than a day after Trump threatened to forcibly put down any protests that spoil the military parade he has ordered up for his birthday on Saturday to coincide with the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army's founding during the American Revolutionary War.
During a media availability in the Oval Office on Tuesday, the president warned that any protests of the parade would be 'met with very big force' on Saturday.
He reiterated the explicit threat a moment later, telling 'those people who want to protest' that they would be 'met with very big force' once more.
He also opined further that any protest against the parade on Saturday would consist only of 'people who hate our country.'
The president has a long history of pushing for the use of state violence against protests, which he considers to be a personal affront and a reflection of weakness on his part. During protests for racial justice in Washington following the May 2020 murder of George Floyd by a Minneapolis, Minnesota police officer, he reportedly pushed to have military and law enforcement open fire on other protesters, asking then his then-Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman, General Mark Milley, why National Guard troops deployed as a result of the demonstrations could not shoot protesters in the legs.
But Leavitt denied that Trump has any intention of attacking protests against his parade or his policies this weekend.
Seemingly ignorant of the president's history of urging violence against demonstrations, Leavitt claimed the president 'supports the right of Americans to peacefully protest' and 'supports the First Amendment' while suggesting that the protests in Los Angeles have consisted entirely of 'mobs of violent rioters and agitators assaulting law enforcement officers, assaulting our federal immigration authorities.'
'Thankfully, the President took action and stepped in to protect our federal law enforcement agents, to perfect protect federal buildings, to protect the federal mission of deporting illegal criminals off of our streets, and that mission will continue every day, as far as we're concerned,' she said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
35 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
New major twist in alleged sexual assault case involving Nancy Mace's ex-finance
A new legal filing in an alleged assault case goes after the former fiance of Rep. Nancy Mace – as well as a top political consultant who accused her of using explosive photos for 'blackmail.' The filing by the alleged assault victim describes a 2018 incident where the alleged victim says a witness saw video footage of her being assaulted and filmed without her consent. She was allegedly passed out on the couch at a Sullivan's Island, South Carolina home at the time. The alleged assault featured in Mace's stunning House Floor speech after she threatened to go 'scorched earth' against people she called predators. It has since kicked off a series of suits and counter suits. The amended complaint hits back with new allegations against longtime South Carolina consultant Wesley Donehue, whose newly revealed deposition appeared to undermine some of Mace's claims about the case. Donehue says he 'fired' Mace as a client because she was becoming 'erratic and unstable.' His allegations came under oath in a deposition that DailyMail revealed in May. In his sworn deposition, the consultant accused Mace of engaging in blackmail when she asked him to contact her former fiance, Patrick Bryant, to tell him she had obtained video evidence from his phone and use it as 'leverage' to gain ownership of two homes they were squabbling over in DC and Isle of Palms, South Carolina. The homes have a combined value of $5 million. A source familiar with the matter denied the blackmail charge. The 'Jane Doe' suit alleges that Mace's ex-fiance gave Mace access to his phone after a pastor told the then-couple Bryant needed to 'build trust' and she subsequently viewed his phone while he was sleeping. Mace then found photos and images of the alleged sexual assault, the complaint alleges. It says Mace was 'haunted' by the images, finally establishing contact with the alleged victim in 2024, about a year before her stunning House floor speech where she referenced the alleged assault and identified four men as alleged sexual 'predators.' According to the amended complaint, it is Donehue who engaged in 'blackmail.' It says the longtime consultant who dumped Mace as a client made 'false and defamatory statements about Mace' that also 'prejudiced Plaintiff.' The filing says Mace had reported pictures and images she found on Bryant's phone to the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) in December 2023 – 'well before she talked to Donehue.' 'Therefore, she could not have asked Donehue to blackmail Bryant, because Bryant was already under investigation at the time,' the filing says. The Daily Mail has reached out to Donehue for comment. The complaint also took on Donehue's dramatic public firing of Mace. He had posted: 'I fired Nancy Mace as client a few months back because I'm a political consultant and not a babysitter, a sex therapist or a doctor who can prescribe fixes for chemical imbalances. 'I don't have time for her constant egotistical bulls*** and drama in my life.' The suit said Mace and Bryant had settled their property dispute by May of 2024, before Donehue fired Mace, 'so she would not have asked Donehue to blackmail Bryant.' Mace accused her ex-fiancé Patrick Bryant (right) and two of his associates, including John Osborne (left) of planning and filming the assault Businessman Eric Bowman, 45, left, and software entrepreneur Brian Musgrave, 51, right, were two of four men Mace accused in her floor speech of being involved in the alleged sexual assault of an intoxicated woman at Bowman's home in 2018. All four men have categorically denied the claims 'Moreover, emails reveal the real reason that Donehue fired Mace as a client is that she wanted access to her Google Analytics, and Donehue didn't want to give her access to her own data,' the lawsuit says. It provides no further details on the the cause of the break. 'Donehue, not Mace, is the one engaged in blackmail,' the filing alleges. 'In December of 2024, Donehue sent Mace hostile and threatening text messages when she had a public dispute with Trey Gowdy, one of Donahue's [sic]. Donehue texted Mace "And let me be very clear with you. You do not want to pick a fight with me ...' And in yet another sweeping allegation, the lawsuit accuses Mace's ex-fiance Bryant of establishing an LLC for the 'improper' purpose of conducting depositions to 'disseminate false information and discredit the Plaintiff's witensses, thereby interfering with her right to have a fair and impartial jury in future criminal and civil proceedings.' Mace has filed a motion to intervene in the Jane Doe case. The lawsuit names three men as defendants: Bryant, John Osborne, and Eric Bowman, as well as two companies as well as three LLCs. State police opened an investigation into her bombshell claims in February. Bryant told Daily Mail in a statement, 'I'm doing everything I can to clear my name. I've answered every allegation in court, secured key witness testimony, and I remain committed to making sure the whole truth, not rumor, comes to light about me and my businesses.' Bowman has previously said he has spoken to SLED and denies wrongdoing. SLED has confirmed it opened an investigation into Bryant. Bryant issued a statement immediately after Mace's February 10 speech - which aired live to the nation on CSPAN - saying: 'I categorically deny these allegations.' And Osborne previously told The Post & Courier: 'The claims are categorically untrue and it is completely unfair to be looped into such accusations.' None of the people Mace identified have been charged with a crime. The legal filing says Bowman and Bryant 'defamed' the plaintiff online and accuses them of 'humiliating' her on social media. Bowman, the first of the four branded as predators on the House floor by Mace, previously told the Daily Mail that the accuser fell into his pool while drunk and passed out on his couch. 'She walked inside by herself and went to dry off in the bathroom and put herself on the couch. She was fully coherent until she put herself to sleep,' he said. 'At some point her boyfriend comes and picks her up. That's it,' he said.
Daily Mail
35 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Trump teases how his 'Ice Maiden' Susie Wiles could 'destroy' five countries in an instant
White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles could become the destroyer of nations without even leaving her desk, President Donald Trump told a crowd of supporters Thursday. Trump, who regularly talks up the smarts and influence of his to aide, lauded her with a new twist at the White House while signing resolutions to end California 's mandate to phase out gasoline-powered cars and trucks. 'And Susie Wiles is here today – stand up Susie,' Trump said in the East Room, where Wiles was seated in the front row. 'The most incredible woman. Most powerful woman in the world, they say,' Trump gushed. 'She's the most – she was rated the most powerful woman in the world. Susie Wiles. One phone call and a nation is destroyed. She destroys, she could destroy five nations with five calls,' Trump quipped, earning laughs from the crowd. 'And she's doing a great job, more importantly, right? Doing a great job. Nobody like her,' Trump said. Wiles, a Florida political operative who likes to keep a low public profile, stood up and placed her hands together when Trump first praised her. Trump didn't provide any more specifics on destroying nations. But his remarks come days after he met with 'generals and admirals' at Camp David, and has spoken openly about how Iran could face a military response from Israel if it refuses to end its nuclear program. 'It looks like it's something that could very well happen,' Trump said. He ordered a bombing campaign against the Houthis in Yemen but them declared it over in May. Wiles took on another knotty conflict when she reportedly urged Elon Musk to phone Trump, helping to settle the astonishing feud between the president and the world's richest man. The president appears to have concluded he has in interest in talking up Wiles' wrath. Days ago he also applied his 'ice maiden' nickname for her her, as he did on Thursday. He also said at the time she had 'big shots' running 'scared. His comments about destruction came in a week when Trump and Wiles visited troops at Fort Bragg and watched a military demonstration of HIMARS rockets Wiles earned Trump's respect in part by imposing discipline during his 2024 election campaign, helping put a lid on some of the infighting that characterized his previous efforts. Trump ended up winning all seven battleground states even while facing four criminal indictments. It is Trump, not Wiles, 68, who can order up missile strikes under the chain of command – during a week when Trump saw a military demonstration at the renamed Fort Bragg, dispatched Marines and Guard troops to LA, and planned a massive military parade in DC. But she does have wide influence in Washington. A May report by Public Citizen found that several of Wiles' former lobbying clients met with White House staff at the start of the administration.
Daily Mail
44 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Identity of mystery rapper dominates 22nd day of Diddy's trial as jury hears he watched male escort sex show with wife and flirted with Diddy's ex 'Jane'
A mystery rapper dominated the 22nd day of Diddy 's trial, even though he was never identified in court. The jury was told about the ultra-famous hip hop artist and his wife watching a male escort have sex in front of their friends and Diddy's ex-girlfriend, referred to only as 'Jane'. The rapper, described in court as an 'icon' of the music industry, flirted with Jane while watching the sexual performance at a hotel in Las Vegas in January 2024. The unnamed individual said he was part of 'the lifestyle' meaning that he liked having more than one sexual partner - and even asked for a recommendation of a porn star for future shows. Speculation about the rapper's identity overshadowed the cross examination of Jane, who claims she was forced to take part in Freak Offs - where she had sex with male escorts for Diddy's pleasure - during their three-year relationship, which ended with his arrest in September in 2024. Diddy, 55, whose real name is Sean Combs, denies sex trafficking, racketeering and other charges. Jane has previously testified to taking a trip to Las Vegas in January 2024 while on a break from Diddy. She said she flew on the mystery rapper's private plane with several others and went to a play, dinner and then a strip club. Jane described the rapper as an 'icon' in the music industry and recounted one time where he allegedly said was a part of 'the lifestyle' meaning that he liked having more than one sexual partner - and even asked for a recommendation of a porn star for future shows The trip was to celebrate the rapper's wife's birthday, the court has heard. Among the group out for the night was a porn star called Anton who had previously been hired by Diddy to have sex with Jane for Freak Offs. Later that night, Jane went to a hotel room with the rapper and his wife and saw Anton having sex with another woman while they all watched. In court on Thursday, Diddy's lawyer Teny Geragos asked Jane if the rapper in question is 'very close to Mr. Combs'. Jane said: 'Yes.' After showing Jane a picture of the rapper – it was not shown to the public gallery – Geragos asked: 'Is it fair to say Mr. Combs and this individual were really close to one another?' Jane replied: 'Yes.' Jane confirmed that Diddy and the rapper had recorded music together and had what Geragos called an 'ongoing professional and personal relationship? Asked if the rapper was an 'icon in the music industry', Jane said yes. Jane admitted that she knew Anton had a relationship with the rapper and that he would travel with him and his wife. Turning to the hotel room, Jane said: 'Anton was having sex with a woman and everyone was watching.' Jane said that Anton and the woman were on the bed and there were seven or eight people watching. While Jane admitted to 'flirting' with the rapper, she said nothing else happened. She confirmed that she flashed her breasts as she felt like doing it 'in the moment'. Jane said: 'He (the rapper) said he thought I was beautiful, and he always wanted to blank me', meaning have sex. Geragos asked: 'The rapper told you he'd always had a crush on you?' Jane said: 'Yes.' The jury heard that the subject of Kabrale came up, referring to another porn star that Jane and Diddy used for Freak Offs. Jane said: 'They were asking me if I knew anybody else in the lifestyle and they were looking for someone, this is why I (texted) Kabrale. If I was to recommend somebody, I would recommend somebody I knew for a while.' According to Jane, the rapper and his wife had 'picked up the energy from me' that she had sex with other men. 'Or they assumed they'd got an inclination that me and Sean had been doing similar things,' Jane said. Five months later, Jane finally told Diddy about the episode, and he was furious. In texts Diddy complained about Jane 'disrespecting me with my friends'. Jane said she was in Las Vegas 'with (the rapper), not for a Freak Off, I was with my friend'. Geragos asked Jane if Diddy told her during a violent argument: 'How could you go to another man's Freak Off?' Jane said yes. Jane confirmed that Diddy felt that Anton had 'something over him'. Earlier in her testimony, Jane recounted Diddy's reaction in more detail. She told the court that Diddy said: 'I can't believe you cheated on me. I can't believe you went outside of us.' Jane said: 'I understood that he was trying to reference that we were part of some sort of lifestyle and that I betrayed him by being a part of someone else's lifestyle moment, this porn type of thing.' Diddy went on for around two hours about his sense of betrayal and that Jane was a 'whore' and a 'cheater'. Jane said: 'He just kept saying all those same things over and over and over again, just kept saying that I was just, like, terrible.' In court Diddy's lawyer Marc Agnifilo tried to persuade the judge to amend his order granting Jane anonymity so that the names of other people on the Las Vegas trip could be read out in court. Doing so would allow members of the public to 'come forward' if they had information that might help the case, Agnifilo said, adding that using the names was 'important'. Prosecutor Maurene Comey said that making the names public would be a 'pretext to harass and intimidate this witness' and that enough had been revealed already so that anyone who had information about that event could come forward. District Judge Arun Subramanian agreed and said he wouldn't modify the order to allow the names from this episode to be used. The episode in Las Vegas was a 'collateral issue' and not related to the sex trafficking charges, the judge said.
