President Donald Trump’s latest press conference on crime in Washington, D.C., took an odd detour on Monday when he stopped mid-speech to call out his press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, and debut her new nickname, “my superstar.”
The event was meant to roll out Trump’s plan to tackle violent crime in the capital, which included declaring a state of emergency, putting Attorney General Pam Bondi in charge of local law enforcement, and sending in the National Guard. But halfway through his remarks, Trump suddenly started scanning the crowd.
“Where’s Karoline? Where’s my superstar?” he said, peering around the room. “Karoline? Karoline? Is Karoline in the back? Come here, Karoline. Come here, Karoline.” He waved her toward the podium, even sliding over to make space, and asked the audience, “Is she doing a good job, by the way?”
Leavitt, who had been standing off to the side with her hands clasped, eventually stepped forward but kept her distance. When Trump asked if this was the biggest crowd she’d ever seen, she smiled and pivoted the conversation. “Yes. This is definitely the most packed briefing. I think it’s why we need to build a ballroom.”
A reporter shouted, “Can we build a big beautiful briefing room?” Trump didn’t miss a beat: “No. I don’t want to do that. I don’t want you to be comfortable.” The lighthearted exchange would have been just another Trump moment if not for what happened earlier this month.
In an August 1 interview, Trump bizarrely praised his press secretary’s looks in a way that made headlines, and not in a flattering way. “She’s become a star. It’s that face, it’s that brain, it’s those lips, the way they move. They move like she is a machine gun… She is a star, she is a great person, actually,” he said. “I don’t think anybody has ever had a better press secretary than Karoline Leavitt.”
BREAKING: In an insane moment, Karoline Leavitt erupts angrily when asked “Which part of the Epstein Hoax is the hoax,” and lies by saying Trump has kept his promises on it, although his base is furious about his failure to do so.
Nobody buys her lies.pic.twitter.com/X8cpaqE7mR
— Really American 🇺🇸 (@ReallyAmerican1) August 11, 2025
Critics pounced, calling the remarks “creepy” and “unprofessional.” Supporters brushed it off as just Trump being Trump.
Leavitt, 27, is the youngest person ever to hold the role of White House press secretary. She’s been part of Trump’s circle for years, working as a press aide on his 2020 campaign before running for Congress in New Hampshire. She’s known for her combative style at the podium and her willingness to go toe-to-toe with reporters, traits that clearly endear her to Trump.
Still, Monday’s spectacle was classic Trump: a serious announcement about crime and public safety turned into a moment of personal showmanship. The “big beautiful ballroom” line might get lost in the shuffle, but the “my superstar” nickname and the lingering talk about his earlier comments on her “face and lips” will get people talking.
Whether it boosts Leavitt’s profile or sparks more criticism of the White House’s tone, one thing’s sure: when Trump’s behind the mic, he will undoubtedly go off script. Leavitt has been a fierce defender of Trump’s policies as press secretary and if she keeps it up, she will continue to earn the praise of the president.
