Overview
- Karoline Leavitt made the claim on Fox News' America Reports on December 16 while defending the administration’s energy agenda.
- Leavitt said the president "made up the slogan 'Drill Baby Drill,'" a statement contradicted by the phrase’s earlier use in GOP politics.
- The slogan was popularized during the 2008 election cycle, often linked to Sarah Palin and initially attributed in GOP circles to Michael Steele.
- Viewers and media outlets quickly flagged the error on social media, and no correction from Leavitt was reported in the coverage.
- The remarks came as the administration advances expanded drilling in Alaska, including a November move to open parts of ANWR, and as conservation and Indigenous-aligned groups challenge recent Alaska drilling approvals in court.