White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt shares texts with reporter after viral ‘your mom did’ exchange

Karoline Leavitt’s “Your mom did” reply to a reporter has gone viral, drawing backlash

A recent message exchange between White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt and a HuffPost reporter has sparked attention online after a brief but pointed reply from Leavitt drew widespread reaction.

The conversation began when journalist S.V. Dáte asked why President Donald Trump chose to meet Vladimir Putin in Hungary, referencing the 1994 Budapest Memorandum and questioning whether the president considered Ukraine’s sensitivity to that location.

Leavitt responded with just two words, “Your mom did.”

When Dáte followed up to ask if she thought his question was meant as a joke, Leavitt replied with a longer text accusing him of bias and labeling him a “far-left hack.”

For context, S.V. Dáte 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.

Just take a look at @svdate’s feed, it reads… https://t.co/NxWn2mdUsa pic.twitter.com/v7owI5N4us

— Karoline Leavitt (@PressSec) October 20, 2025

After the exchange made headlines, Leavitt shared screenshots of the texts on social media, saying she wanted to show her “full response” and provide “context” about the reporter.

She claimed Dáte repeatedly sends her “Democrat talking points” and is “not interested in facts.”

Dáte, who has previously worked for the Associated Press and NPR, responded, “Feel better now? Now can you answer the question? Please and thank you.”