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Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt Briefs Members of the Media, Jul. 16, 2026

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Overview

Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt’s media briefing centered on four main themes:

  1. President Trump’s upcoming election-integrity address
  2. The administration’s economic messaging
  3. Immigration and enforcement claims
  4. Continued foreign-policy pressure on Iran

The briefing also included questions spanning ethics and domestic policy details.

Election Integrity: Trump’s Primetime Address

Scheduled national address

  • Leavitt said President Trump will deliver a major national address at 9:00 p.m. Eastern focused on protecting the integrity of U.S. elections.
  • She encouraged Americans to tune in.

Response to criticism about past elections

  • Leavitt pushed back on criticism that the speech could focus on past elections.
  • She argued it would present “facts and evidence” and that election integrity should be non-partisan.

Economy question

  • When asked whether the president would cover the economy, Leavitt emphasized the administration is “walking and chewing gum” and reiterated election integrity remains a core theme.

Economy: Inflation Down and Wages Up

CPI claims

  • Leavitt claimed Tuesday’s CPI report validated Trump’s predictions:
    • Prices are falling
    • Inflation dropped 0.4% last month, exceeding expectations
    • It represented the largest monthly decline in more than six years

Reported categories with falling prices

She highlighted specific categories she said saw price declines, including:

  • Gasoline
  • Electricity
  • Non-prescription drugs
  • Car insurance
  • Medical care services
  • Hotels

Earnings and wage claims

  • Leavitt said real weekly earnings rose in June.
  • She also claimed real wages for private-sector workers have increased by about $1,000 since Trump took office, contrasting it with declines under the prior administration.

Examples of private-sector price actions

  • She pointed to Walmart and Sam’s Club lowering prices on thousands of items.
  • The administration’s stated goal remains lowering costs and raising wages.

“Trump Accounts” for Children (Financial Program Promotion)

App/program status and signup figures

  • Leavitt said the Trump accounts program/app is now live.
  • She stated 6.5 million children are signed up (attributed to the Council of Economic Advisors).

Program rules (as described)

  • Children under 18 can have accounts opened.
  • It is a free investment savings account to open.
  • A $1,000 seed deposit applies for children born Jan. 1, 2025–Dec. 31, 2028.
  • Contributions allowed:
    • From families/friends/guardians up to $5,000 per year
    • From employers up to $2,500 per year
    • With a tax-favored basis
  • Leavitt cited projections that, with maximum contributions, the account could reach nearly $300,000 by age 18.

Wealth redistribution concerns

  • Asked about concerns resembling wealth redistribution, she framed the concept as a public-private partnership, funded by generous donors and Treasury seed deposits.

Birthright citizenship concerns

  • She said the administration continues to work with Congress to “remedy” what it described as abuse involving births to non-citizens.

Border and Immigration Enforcement Claims

Release into the U.S.

  • Leavitt cited Department of Homeland Security / CBP numbers, claiming the administration has released zero illegal aliens into the U.S. for 14 straight months.

Crossings and apprehensions

  • She said June crossings stayed at historic lows.
  • She claimed Southwest border apprehensions are down 94% compared to the Biden period.

Criminal enforcement emphasis

  • Leavitt highlighted ICE arrests involving individuals she characterized as serious violent criminals.
  • She referenced cases in states including California, New Jersey, North Carolina, Rhode Island, and others.

Vehicle stops and deaths question

  • Asked about ICE encounter deaths and whether vehicle stops are back, she asserted:
    • Vehicle stops are continuing
    • DHS has guidance to field offices
  • She also discussed body camera rollout:
    • Over half of ICE field offices already have them
    • Completion expected within 60 days

Iran and Military Escalation Messaging

Stance on strikes and Iranian violations

Leavitt repeatedly defended the administration’s strike posture and described it as tied to Iranian violations:

  • She said Iran continues to talk and wants a deal, but claimed Iran violated an agreement related to not firing on commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz.
  • She described U.S. action as strikes and referenced an “Operation Epic Fury” (described as weakening Iran’s ability to negotiate).
  • When asked whether negotiations are “over,” she argued talks continue but Iran must “pay consequences” for actions affecting shipping.
  • On messaging inconsistencies, she suggested statements came at different times and said the president and vice president are aligned.

Related operational claims

  • She described U.S. action related to the Strait of Hormuz, including:
    • Reimposing a blockade for ships entering/departing Iranian ports (as described)
    • CENTCOM redirections and disabled vessels (as described)
  • She argued gas prices have not spiked as predicted, citing mitigation steps such as:
    • SPR releases
    • Jones Act waivers
    • Fuel/environmental waivers
    • A Defense Production Act measure to restart California production

Other Issues: Ethics, Betting Controversy, and Domestic Topics

Teleprompter staffer / betting scandal

  • Leavitt addressed reports that a staffer allegedly profited from reading/trading around presidential speeches.
  • She said the person is on paid or administrative leave, then clarified as unpaid administrative leave.
  • She stated the person is no longer working at the White House.
  • She cited:
    • CFTC notification of suspicious activity
    • Investigation by regulators

Sanctions / CDC-FDA food safety

  • She discussed an outbreak tied to produce, saying the White House is:
    • Monitoring closely
    • Partnering with CDC and FDA
    • Expanding detection
    • Tracing the outbreak source
  • She denied that staffing/funding cuts are slowing the response (as characterized in her answer).

Critical minerals deal and conflict-of-interest question

  • Asked about a mining/steel deal tied to Kazakhstan and an older son’s alleged investment, Leavitt said:
    • “From my understanding,” the president and family were not aware
    • She said timelines were provided to media when the story broke
  • Howard Lutnick and Michael Dell were mentioned in connection with the broader discussion (as described in the transcript summary).

Iran/Erbil drone attack

  • She said Iran is “paying consequences” and referred details to ongoing accountability/strikes.

Ukraine / NATO summit

  • Asked about escalation and Turkey’s role, she said she would check the NSC and return with more specific guidance.

Save America Act

  • Leavitt reiterated support for the Save America Act, including the idea that elements could be attached to a budget reconciliation process.

General Tone and Framing

Overall, Leavitt’s stance was framed as:

  • Election integrity: urgent, evidence-based, and allegedly misrepresented by media coverage
  • Economy: improving under Trump’s policies (inflation down, wages up)
  • Enforcement: portrayed as effective and lawful for border security and criminal cases
  • Iran: portrayed as proportionate responses to violations, with negotiation still possible

Presenters / Contributors Mentioned

  • Karoline Leavitt (press secretary/presenter)
  • Rachel Bade (reporter)
  • Ben (reporter)
  • Garrett (reporter)
  • Aisha (reporter)
  • Mark Stone (Sky News)
  • Kayleigh (referenced in response/attribution)
  • Danny (reporter)
  • Jasmine (reporter)
  • Reagan (reporter; asked about Kalshi/betting and Wi‑Fi questions)
  • Libby (reporter; asked about Calshi/betting oversight)
  • Ed (reporter; asked teleprompter/other questions)
  • Dasha (reporter; asked about Iran timing/endgame and immigration follow-up)
  • Caroline (reporter; multiple questions/moderator-like turns)
  • Rachel (reporter; asked about a “world where there’ll be charges?” and clarifications)
  • Brian (reporter; Calshi question)
  • Kaitlan (mentioned during a DOJ question segment)
  • Howard Lutnick (mentioned in the critical minerals deal question)
  • Michael Dell (mentioned as a contributor to the Trump accounts fund)
  • J.D. Vance (referenced via comments/interview)
  • President Trump (frequently referenced)
  • President Erdoğan (mentioned regarding Turkey visit)

Institutions mentioned (not individual presenters)

  • FBI, DOJ, NSC, DHS, ICE, CFTC, CDC, FDA, CBP, CENTCOM, and ICE field offices

Other named figure

  • Senator Lindsey Graham (referenced)

Original video