White House Press Secretary issues scathing response after leaked 'immature' texts spark major backlash

Karoline Leavitt has found herself in piping hot water with critics this week, after sharing a private series of controversial texts in which she is seen brutally rebuking a reporter.

The White House Press Secretary took to social media on Monday (20 Oct), where she uploaded screengrabs from recent a conversation with HuffPost White House correspondent, S.V. Dáte.

In the damning messages, 28-year-old Leavitt could be seen responding to a question asked of her by the journalist about President Trump's upcoming meeting with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, which took place in the Hungarian capital earlier today.

"Is the president aware of the significance of Budapest?" Dáte asked her, pointing out that Russian leaders had promised whilst visiting the capital city in 1994, that they wouldn't invade Ukraine if the latter 'gave up the nuclear weapons it inherited'.

The reporter went on to demand of Trump: "Does he not see why Ukraine might object to that site? Who suggested Budapest?"

Karoline Leavitt has found herself beefing a journalist this week (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

Shockingly, the press officer is then seen to have sarcastically written to Dáte, 'Your mom did', in response to his latter question.

After the journalist asked in return, 'Is this funny to you?', Leavitt continued: "It's funny to me that you actually consider yourself a journal. You are a far left hack who nobody takes seriously, including your colleagues in the media, they just don't tell you that to your face."

The Republican supporter finished her message by telling Dáte: "Stop texting me your disingenuous, biased, and bulls**t questions."

As we say, astonishingly, it was Leavitt who shared evidence of the fiery confrontation online.

Posting screengrabs on X (formerly Twitter), she wrote a scathing response to the line of questioning in the caption: "For context, S.V. Dáte of the Huffington Post is not a journalist interested in the facts.

"He is a left-wing hack who has consistently attacked President Trump for years and constantly bombards my phone with Democrat talking points."

Leavitt also went on to describe the reporter as 'anti-Trump', and encouraged her online followers to 'take a look at' his social media presence.

The press secretary shared a screenshot of the brutal text message exchange (x/@PressSec)

"Activists who masquerade as real reporters do a disservice to the profession," she lastly added.

It didn't take long for Leavitt's controversial comments to make it onto the discussion forum Reddit, where she was slammed as 'immature' for her parenting-oriented insult.

After one onlooker described the interaction as 'horrifying', another agreed, adding: "They are everything we teach our kids not to be, unless MAGA is telling their kids this is all fine coming from our nation’s highest office? We are in hell."

A third continued of the Trump administration as a whole: "They are immature and childish bullies in adult bodies who make fart jokes. I don’t see how anyone can take them seriously."

"This is also their JOB," a fourth pointed out. "Can you imagine talking like this with external business partners? It’s wild."