White House Press Secretary Defends Spending Cuts in Heated Exchange With Reporter

Karoline Leavitt rebuffs claims of misrepresented fraud data while emphasizing the Trump administration's focus on reducing waste and fraud.

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.