Psaki Calls Leavitt Liar, Says She Made Briefing Room ‘Safe Space’

Speaking on MS NOW — the rebranded MSNBC where she was hired after serving President Biden — Psaki claimed the briefing room relationship between press and administration had been fundamentally undermined during Leavitt’s tenure, according to New York Post.

Jen Psaki argued that the press-White House dynamic is meant to be adversarial, with journalists pushing for access and information. While acknowledging that press secretaries sometimes need to push back, she insisted Leavitt showed no interest in genuine engagement with reporters.

Psaki criticized Leavitt’s limited briefing schedule — only once or twice weekly at most — and accused her of reshaping the briefing room to avoid accountability. She took particular aim at the “new media” initiative that allocated seats to podcasters and digital creators, characterizing it as a way to pack the room with supportive voices rather than critical journalists.

President Donald Trump announced earlier this week that Leavitt would step down as press secretary to focus on her family. At 28, she became the youngest person ever to hold the position when Trump returned to office. No replacement has been announced.

The White House swiftly rejected Psaki’s characterization. Spokesman Davis Ingle dismissed the criticism, telling Fox News Digital that Psaki couldn’t match Leavitt’s performance — a jab that referenced her habit of promising to “circle back” on difficult questions during her own tenure.

Psaki, who served from January 2021 until May 2022 before being succeeded by Karine Jean-Pierre, went further by accusing Leavitt of repeatedly lying and serving only Trump rather than the American people. She claimed this approach damaged both the position itself and the public’s ability to get truthful information about government activities.

White House Veterans Defend Leavitt

Tricia McLaughlin, who served as assistant secretary for public affairs at the Department of Homeland Security, vigorously disputed Psaki’s assessment. She pointed to positive coverage from outlets including the New York Times, Newsweek, and CNN that praised Leavitt’s professionalism, responsiveness, and firsthand policy knowledge.

Multiple White House correspondents offered similar assessments. One veteran reporter told Fox News Digital that Leavitt was the most effective press secretary they had encountered across multiple administrations, crediting her direct access to Trump and deep understanding of his policy positions.

The same reporter drew an unfavorable comparison to Biden’s press secretaries, noting that Jean-Pierre lacked both policy depth and presidential access, while Psaki’s weakness was an arrogant attitude toward the press despite her policy knowledge.

The controversy highlights ongoing tensions between traditional media establishments and the Trump administration’s approach to press relations, including its embrace of alternative media voices that legacy outlets have criticized as insufficiently adversarial.

With information from New York Post