A public spat erupted between White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt and HuffPost reporter S.V. Dáte over details concerning a potential meeting between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin. The controversy began when Dáte texted Leavitt asking who decided the location for the prospective summit. Leavitt’s surprising reply, ‘Your mom did,’ was later posted by her on the social media platform X, accompanied by accusations that the reporter is a ‘left-wing hack’ with an anti-Trump agenda. Leavitt defended her response by asserting that Dáte is not genuinely interested in factual reporting but instead targets the President with Democrat talking points, evident in his online presence. The press secretary believes such individuals harm the integrity of journalism. Reports suggest the Trump-Putin meeting is slated for Budapest soon, though official confirmation of the date is pending. In related developments, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has voiced readiness to attend if invited, potentially in a three-way discussion or through shuttle diplomacy, but has also highlighted reservations regarding Hungary’s relationship with Russia.
