White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt is coming under heavy criticism from Democrats after likening their voter base to violent criminals and enemies of the state.
In an interview with Fox News on Thursday, Leavitt claimed that the “Democratic Party’s main constituency is made up of Hamas terrorists, illegal aliens and violent criminals.”
“That’s who the Democrat Party is catering to,” Leavitt insisted. “Not the Trump administration, and not the White House, and not the Republican party, who [sic] is standing up for law-abiding Americans …”
The comments drew strong pushback from Democrats, who have been accused by President Donald Trump and the White House of stoking political violence by calling Republicans fascist.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., called Leavitt “sick” and “out of control.”
“I’m not sure if she’s just demented, ignorant, a stone cold liar, or all of the above,” Jeffries told reporters on Friday. “But the notion that an official White House spokesperson would say that…makes no sense that this is what the American people are getting from the Trump administration in the middle of a shutdown.”
Senator Chris Murphy, D-Conn., called the comments “grossly dark.”
“But it’s also so politically dumb,” Murphy said in a post on X. “How do they think Americans will react to being told that anyone who doesn’t support Trump is a terrorist?”
Rep. Jason Crow, D-Colo., said Leavitt’s statement was “a lie” and called it “shameful.”
“Every day, Trump & his enablers are working to divide Americans and make us hate one another. It’s inflammatory,” Crow said. “It’s wrong.”
Rep. Greg Casar, D-Calif., echoed Murphy and Crow, but also called on Leavitt to resign from the Trump administration, whom he accused of “robbing us blind.”
Leavitt defended her remarks in a post on X, calling Jeffries as “stone-cold loser.”
“The Democrat Party’s elected officials absolutely cater to pro-Hamas terrorists, illegal aliens, and violent criminals,” Leavitt wrote. “Democrats do NOT serve the interests of the American people.”
Responding to Leavitt’s remarks, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz tried to bridge the divide between Democrats and Republicans, calling both “good people.”
“The White House says outrageous things to make you hate your neighbor,” Walz said in a social media post. “Your neighbor isn’t the problem. The White House is.”
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