“Immature and childish,” one person said of the White House press secretary’s response

In a moment that many are calling unprofessional, bizarre, and downright juvenile, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt has ignited

a firestorm online after responding to a journalist’s inquiry with a sarcastic “your mom” quip — and then publicly posting the private text exchange herself.

The 28-year-old spokesperson for President Donald Trump’s administration is once again at the center of controversy, this time for engaging in what critics are calling schoolyard insults rather than professional dialogue.

The explosive exchange took place on Monday, October 20, and has since gone viral across platforms like Reddit, X (formerly Twitter), and other social media hubs, leaving many Americans asking: Is this really the tone from the top?

It all began when S.V. Dáte, a senior White House correspondent for HuffPost, reached out to Leavitt seeking comment on an upcoming high-stakes meeting between President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, reportedly scheduled to take place in Budapest.

Dáte posed a straightforward question regarding the choice of venue: “Who suggested Budapest?”

Rather than responding with standard diplomatic language or a deferral, Leavitt fired back with, “Your mom did.”

Yes — the top spokesperson for the President of the United States offered a “your mom” joke in an official capacity, in response to a national reporter asking about foreign policy.

When Dáte followed up, questioning whether she found the situation humorous — especially in light of the historical weight of Budapest and ongoing tensions regarding Russia’s aggression in Ukraine — Leavitt doubled down.

“It’s funny to me that you actually consider yourself a journal [sic],” she replied, appearing to misspell the word “journalist.”

Leavitt then escalated further, accusing the veteran reporter of bias: “You are a far left hack who nobody takes seriously, including your colleagues in the media, they just don’t tell you that to your face. Stop texting me your disingenuous, biased, and bulls— questions.”

And in a move that stunned political observers, Leavitt published a screenshot of the entire exchange to her public social media profile, adding her own commentary:

“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.”

She further encouraged her followers to review Dáte’s past posts, claiming his reporting was not journalism but activism in disguise. “Activists who masquerade as real reporters do a disservice to the profession,” she concluded.

But it was the now-infamous “your mom” remark that truly set the internet ablaze.

Critics across the political spectrum — even some who previously supported the administration — expressed shock and disappointment.

“They are everything we teach our kids not to be,” one user wrote in a viral Reddit thread. “Unless MAGA is telling their kids this is all fine coming from our nation’s highest office? We are in hell.”

Another person commented, “They are immature and childish bullies in adult bodies who make fart jokes. I don’t see how anyone can take them seriously.”

Some even pointed out the professionalism gap between the administration and private sector expectations: “This is also their JOB. Can you imagine talking like this with external business partners? It’s wild.”

Leavitt, who at 28 is the youngest person to ever hold the White House Press Secretary position, has drawn both praise and criticism since her appointment.

Her combative style and close alignment with Trump’s rhetoric have made her a favorite among the Republican base and conservative media outlets. But Monday’s viral post has intensified a growing divide between her defenders and detractors.

Supporters say Leavitt is simply fighting back against biased coverage and refusing to play by what they see as the left-wing media’s rules.

To them, the response was bold, unapologetic, and refreshing. “It’s about time someone called them out,” one user wrote in reply to her post on X.

But even among conservative strategists, the public release of a private text — and the juvenile nature of the reply — is raising eyebrows.

“Even if she felt the reporter was being unfair, there’s a way to handle it with grace and professionalism,” one former GOP communications director told us anonymously. “This kind of behavior makes the whole administration look unserious.”

Leavitt’s response comes amid a tense political climate in which President Trump has sought to downplay international concerns while bolstering relationships with controversial world leaders like Vladimir Putin.

The choice of Budapest as a summit location has already raised questions due to Hungary’s growing alignment with authoritarian governance under Prime Minister Viktor Orbán — and now, the administration is also facing questions about its own internal tone and decorum.

Adding to the growing chorus of disapproval, former White House communications officials from both Democratic and Republican

administrations have spoken out, noting that press secretaries are supposed to be the bridge between government and the public — not flame-throwers.

“This is supposed to be a serious job,” one former Obama-era staffer posted on X. “You don’t get to say ‘your mom’ when asked about foreign diplomacy.”

As of now, the White House has declined to issue any official response to the controversy, and it remains unclear whether Leavitt will face any

internal repercussions — or if this is simply the new normal for a communications office that has frequently embraced trolling and spectacle over tradition and restraint.

Whether her latest viral moment will ultimately help or hurt Leavitt — and the Trump administration — remains to be seen. But one thing is certain: the line between politics and playground antics just got a little blurrier.