In a moment that will go down in history as one of the most uncomfortable and explosive exchanges in recent press history, Karoline Leavitt, the White House Press Secretary for President Trump’s 2024 campaign, found herself caught in a moment of stunning silence.
What was supposed to be a typical press briefing on June 28, 2025, erupted into a dramatic confrontation, leaving Leavitt visibly shaken and her political rhetoric crumbling under the weight of a simple but powerful question: “So, you’re saying a six-year-old girl fleeing cartel violence, crossing the border with her grandmother, is a criminal?”
The question, posed by NBC’s Peter Alexander, immediately froze the room. With millions watching live, Leavitt—who is known for her sharp, unyielding defense of the Trump administration—found herself exposed, unable to answer the question that had just shattered her narrative.
In the days that followed, the exchange quickly went viral, sparking widespread outrage and intense debate about the Trump administration’s stance on immigration, the rhetoric surrounding it, and the ethical consequences of its policies.
The Press Briefing That Changed Everything
The press briefing began as most others do, with Leavitt confidently addressing the room and defending President Trump’s latest executive orders. The topic: mass deportations, the most recent being “the largest mass deportation operation in American history,” according to Leavitt. ICE agents had arrested nearly 1,200 undocumented immigrants in a 24-hour period.
Leavitt confidently stated that these individuals were “criminals” and that they didn’t belong in the U.S. Under the Trump administration, she claimed, they would be sent “back home.” Her words were direct and forceful, with a screen behind her showing the mugshots of individuals she labeled as murderers, gang members, and cartel enforcers. No one in the room, least of all Leavitt, would dispute that violent criminals should be removed from the country.
But the tension in the room was palpable when Peter Alexander, the seasoned NBC News correspondent, asked a critical follow-up: “NBC News has confirmed that nearly half of the 1,179 people arrested had no prior criminal record. Not even a parking ticket. Are you saying they were prioritized the same way as the gang members on your screen?”
Leavitt, unfazed at first, answered sharply: “If you enter the United States illegally, you are—by definition—a criminal. Therefore, you are subject to deportation. President Trump has been very clear.”
But Alexander pressed on. “That’s a civil offense, not a criminal one.”
Leavitt’s response was no less confident, but here came the key moment: she doubled down and dismissed the nuance. “It’s a federal crime,” she snapped back. The audience, and indeed the press room, seemed to freeze as the implications of her words settled in. But the real tension arrived moments later when Alexander raised a question that would haunt her.
The Question That Stunned the World
Leavitt’s attempt to continue asserting her stance on deportation was cut off by Alexander’s perfectly timed inquiry: “So, to clarify: you’re saying a six-year-old girl fleeing cartel violence, crossing the border with her grandmother… is a criminal?”
In that moment, it was clear that Leavitt had no scripted response to fall back on. She blinked, her lips parting but no sound coming out. The room fell completely silent, and the weight of the question became undeniable.
Leavitt, visibly shaken, tried to gather her composure, but Alexander wasn’t finished. “You’re saying that child deserves to be arrested and deported the same day?” he pressed further. His voice was calm, almost disappointed, but the clarity of his words left no room for ambiguity. It was a stark contrast to Leavitt’s forced confidence.
