Overview

• Karoline Leavitt, White House press secretary, faced pointed questions from NBC's Peter Alexander about the Trump administration's claims of $71 billion in Social Security fraud.
• Leavitt asserted the administration's commitment to tackling government waste, fraud, and abuse, including controversial spending on overseas programs and DEI initiatives.
• Alexander challenged Leavitt's statement, clarifying that the $71 billion figure spanned multiple years (2015-2022) and not a single fiscal year as initially claimed.
• The exchange highlighted differing interpretations of government reports and the administration's broader efforts to justify spending cuts.
• Leavitt accused media outlets of opposing efforts to eliminate wasteful spending, while emphasizing public support for the administration's cost-cutting measures.