By Katherine Tinsley
8:17am PDT, Mar 12, 2025
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Associated Press' Josh Boak asked about Donald Trump's economic plan during a press briefing on Tuesday, March 11.
"I'm curious why he is prioritizing that over tax cuts?" Boak asked.
"He is not doing that," Karoline Leavitt replied.
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Karoline Leavitt clarified that Donald Trump's plans will benefit the American people despite economists warning that it will make goods more expensive.
"He is actually not implementing tax hikes," Leavitt said. "Tariffs are a tax hike on foreign countries that, again, have been ripping us off. Tariffs are a tax cut for the American people, and the president is a staunch advocate of tax cuts."
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Donald Trump has accused Canada, Mexico, China and other trade partners of exploiting American consumers.
"And ultimately, when we have fair and balanced trade, which the American people have not seen in decades, as I said at the beginning, revenues will stay here, wages will go up, and our country will be made wealthy again," Karoline Leavitt explained.
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While defending Donald Trump, Karoline Leavitt reprimanded the news organization.
"And I think it's insulting that you are trying to test my knowledge of economics and the decisions that this president has made. I now regret giving a question to the Associated Press," she bluntly said.
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Tensions between Donald Trump's administration and the Associated Press have been ongoing, as the news outlet was stripped of its Oval Office access after using "Gulf of Mexico" in articles instead of "Gulf of America."
"Freedom of speech is a pillar of American democracy and a core value of the American people. The White House has said it supports these principles," Associated Press' spokesperson Lauren Easton said in a statement.
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Lauren Easton later criticized Donald Trump's decision to strip the organization of their credentials due to a style difference.
"The actions taken to restrict AP's coverage of presidential events because of how we refer to a geographic location chip away at this important right enshrined in the U.S. Constitution for all Americans," Easton stressed.
