Karoline Leavittâs attack on Democrats crosses a dangerous line and cheapens the office she holds.
By Gina Hill | Alaska Headline Living | October 2025 | Op-Ed
When the question came, it wasnât even about her.
Fox News had asked U.S. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt to comment on New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdaniâs refusal to say whether Hamas should disarm in Gaza. Rather than address the substance, Leavitt swung hard, accusing Democrats of catering to âHamas terrorists, illegal aliens, and violent criminals.â
âThat is who the Democrat Party is catering to,â she said. âNot the Trump administration and not the White House and not the Republican Party, who is standing up for law-abiding Americans, not just across the country but around the world.â
It was a line that might light up a campaign rally, but it landed with a thud coming from the podium of the White House Press Secretary, one of the few roles in American government meant to rise above the political firefight.
A Role Rewritten
The Press Secretary is supposed to be a conduit for public information, not a conduit for outrage. When that office turns into a megaphone for partisan attack, it doesnât just harm the opposition, it undermines the credibility of the White House itself.
By equating an entire political party with terrorists and criminals, Leavitt didnât just lob a partisan insult. She blurred the line between domestic politics and national security, between debate and accusation, between disagreement and disloyalty.
No serious observer believes that the Democratic Party: a broad, messy coalition of millions, is âmade up of Hamas terrorists.â The statement is as absurd as it is inflammatory, designed to trigger rather than inform. Itâs also profoundly unhelpful in a moment when trust in government communication is already near historic lows.
The Cost of the Soundbite
Thereâs a long tradition of tough talk from the podium, but also of measured restraint. Press secretaries from both parties, from Ari Fleischer to Jen Psaki, understood that credibility was currency. Once itâs spent, itâs gone.
Leavittâs rhetoric trades that credibility for applause lines. It feeds the base but alienates the middle, and in doing so, it erodes the institutional authority of the White House communications office itself.
When spokespeople stop speaking for the nation and start speaking only for the tribe, the public stops listening altogether. And when that happens, even truthful statements from the podium will ring hollow.
A Missed Chance for Leadership
Leavitt could have done what a Press Secretary is supposed to do:
Reaffirm U.S. policy toward Hamas, a designated terrorist organization. Reiterate Americaâs support for Israelâs right to defend itself and for humanitarian relief for civilians in Gaza. Clarify, not inflame.
Instead, she framed a question about foreign policy as a domestic loyalty test. The result wasnât clarity, but division.
Words Have Weight
The White House podium isnât a campaign stage. Itâs supposed to be where facts live, not talking points. When that distinction collapses, so does public trust.
If Leavittâs job is to represent the administration before the American people, then statements like these donât strengthen the presidency. They cheapen it.
The country deserves a Press Secretary who can speak with discipline, credibility, and respect for the institution she represents. What we got instead was another partisan warrior swinging wildly from behind the seal of the United States.
And that … far more than anything a mayoral candidate says … should concern us all.
