Overview

• President Trump lauded Karoline Leavitt in an August 1 Newsmax interview, praising her “face,” “brain” and “those lips… like a machine gun” while calling her “amazing” and the best press secretary ever.
• Leavitt’s July 31 appeal for a Nobel Peace Prize credited Trump with ending six international conflicts, a portrayal analysts dispute as exaggerated or driven by self-interest.
• Journalist Greg Sargent and other observers argue that Leavitt’s “over-the-top obsequious flattery” signals the administration’s performative strategy and backfires by underscoring Trump’s political insecurity.
• Media outlets and social media users condemned Trump’s remarks as unprofessional and “creepy,” comparing the personal compliments to inappropriate workplace conduct.
• Critics warn that the spectacle of mutual praise has deepened public doubts about White House credibility and coincides with Trump’s second-term approval ratings at historic lows.