Karoline Leavitt slams AP reporter days after heated exchange over his ‘insulting’ question about tariffs.

Talking about the exchange, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said that AP reporter Josh Boak ‘clearly didn’t understand’ a ‘very simple idea’ (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

WASHINGTON, DC: White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt is not letting her heated exchange with an Associated Press (AP) reporter pass.

Appearing on Maria Bartiromo’s Fox News show ‘Sunday Morning Futures’, the 27-year-old White House press secretary slammed AP reporter Josh Boak following their heated exchange during the March 11 press briefing.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt takes a question from a reporter during the daily press briefing at the White House on March 11, 2025, in Washington, DC (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

During the press conference, the AP reporter argued with Leavitt regarding President Donald Trump’s tariff laws as he asked her, “Have you ever paid a tariff?”

Karoline Leavitt slams AP reporter days after heated exchange

Following the heated exchange last week, an “insulted” Karoline Leavitt eviscerated the AP reporter as she told Fox News host Maria Bartiromo that Josh Boak “clearly fails to see President Trump’s long-term economic strategy,” the Daily Mail reported.

The New Hampshire native previously had a showdown with the reporter during the now-viral press conference and responded to his question claiming that tariffs are “a tax cut for the American people,” adding Boak’s question felt “insulting.”

She further added that, according to her, the reporter was “trying to test” her knowledge.

Doubling down on her take during Sunday’s appearance, Leavitt explained that Trump’s tariffs will “bring in so much revenue” and “so much wealth into our country,” which subsequently will help the Republican Party to stay true to their promise.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt takes a question from a reporter during the daily press briefing at the White House on February 12, 2025, in Washington, DC (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

Leavitt continued, “[Boak] clearly didn’t understand that very simple idea.” She continued to slam the AP and other mainstream outlets for chasing “sensationalism” instead of asking “tough questions with honest integrity and journalistic curiosity,” according to Fox News.

She further said, “That’s why the trust in the mainstream media has fallen to record lows, and that’s why, at the White House, we are very proud of the changes that we have made to the briefing room and also to the press coverage of this president, welcoming in independent voices and new media who truly care about the truth, honesty and accuracy.”

Leavitt’s brutal criticism of the AP reporter came on the heels of the 180-year-old news outlet getting banned from “pooled” Oval Office visits and Air Force One trips after the group opposed Trump’s renaming of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America.

The heated exchange between Boak and the youngest White House press secretary did nothing but to exacerbate the already dwindling relationship between the White House and the news wire.

AP reporter Josh Boak asked Karoline Leavitt about Trump’s tariff policy

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt holds her first news conference in the Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House on January 28, 2025, in Washington, DC (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

As the March 11 press conference unfolded, AP reporter Josh Boak asked Karoline Leavitt about Trump’s tariff policy, which he later declared in the Business Roundtable that day to have a “tremendously positive impact.”

Referencing Trump attending the Roundtable later that day, the reporter asked, “He’s going there today as he’s proposing tax hikes in the form of tariffs. And I’m curious he’s not for why he’s prioritizing that over the tax cuts.”

However, interrupting his question, Leavitt said, “Not true – he’s not doing that,” before continuing, “Tariffs are a tax hike on foreign countries that, again, have been ripping us off. Tariffs are a tax cut for the American people, and the President is a staunch advocate of tax cuts.”

Not satisfied with Leavitt’s response, Boak interjected, “I’m sorry. Have you ever paid a tariff? Because I have.” Echoing the sentiment of several social media users, he continued, “They don’t get charged on foreign companies. They get charged on the importers.”

Nevertheless, Leavitt went on to claim that Trump’s latest tariff policy will make the country wealthy again, as she noted, “Ultimately, when we have fair and balanced trade, which the American people have not seen in decades. As I said at the beginning, revenues will stay here, wages will go up, and our country will be made wealthy again.”

She continued, “And I think it’s insulting that you’re trying to test my knowledge of economics and the decisions that this president has made. I now regret giving a question to the Associated Press.”

Despite her conviction, however, several economists and political pundits have argued that the new tariff policy may have a negative impact, including higher inflation and escalation in the trade war.