Overview

• Analyst Greg Sargent warns that a coordinated effort by Karoline Leavitt, GOP lawmakers, and right-wing media seeks to prop up Trump as his health issues, plunging polls, and Epstein entanglements intensify scrutiny.
• In March, Leavitt defended Trump’s false claim that his uncle taught the “Unabomber” at MIT and touted an MIT letterhead letter displayed in the Oval Office.
• In a July briefing, Leavitt lauded Trump’s transparency and work ethic to deflect questions about Jeffrey Epstein’s scandal and presidential fitness.
• Republican figures such as Rep. Randy (R-Fla.) and Rep. Tim Burchett echoed Leavitt’s tactics by praising Trump’s transparency and dismissing critical media coverage.
• Leavitt’s provocative, troll-like style has sparked widespread online mockery and signaled a shift toward spectacle-driven, loyalty-focused communications.