Overview
- During a Jan. 11 press gaggle returning to Washington from Mar-a-Lago, President Trump said, “I’m looking for something to grab … and it’s not going to be Karoline,” with Karoline Leavitt standing behind him.
- The comment came as reporters pressed him on Venezuela and whether he would meet opposition leader María Corina Machado, shifting attention from policy to the bumpy flight.
- A short video of the exchange spread widely on X, drawing a mix of amused reactions and criticism that the joke was inappropriate.
- Reporters on the plane did not pursue the remark and continued asking policy questions after the turbulence warning.
- News outlets noted the moment fits a pattern of Trump’s personal remarks about Leavitt, citing earlier praise referencing her “lips” that “move like a machine gun.”