Overview
- On Oct. 20, Karoline Leavitt posted a screenshot of her texts with HuffPost’s S.V. Dáte on X, calling him a “left‑wing hack” and standing by her “Your mom did” response.
- Dáte had asked whether the president recognized Budapest’s significance under the 1994 Budapest Memorandum and who suggested the city for a prospective Trump–Putin meeting.
- White House Communications Director Steven Cheung also replied “Your mom” to the inquiry, according to multiple reports.
- After Leavitt’s post, Dáte publicly pressed for an actual answer; the White House still has not said who selected Budapest or addressed the underlying concern.
- Coverage highlighted the conduct as unprofessional and the reliance on social media over substance, while the Budapest meeting is expected but not yet formally set.