Watch: Leavitt Fights Back a Smile as Miller Unleashes on Reporters in Fiery Briefing
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt found it difficult to keep a straight face as her colleague took the spotlight and delivered a searing rebuke to the press.
Though Leavitt is typically the one known for sharp rebuttals and pointed remarks, on Thursday, it was Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller who took command of the briefing room — and he did not hold back.
The exchange began when CBS News' Weijia Jiang questioned whether the Trump administration was seeking the return of suspected MS-13 member Kilmar Abrego Garcia from a prison in El Salvador.
“Is that to check a box for compliance, or does President Donald Trump want him back on U.S. soil, or both?” Jiang asked.
(It's worth noting that Jiang’s question echoes a broader sentiment among progressives advocating for Abrego Garcia — despite the fact that, according to a Department of Homeland Security official, he is “a violent illegal alien who abuses women and children.”)
Miller didn’t just respond — he delivered a scathing indictment of both Jiang’s question and the broader media narrative, calling out their silence during the crisis caused by foreign gangs under President Joe Biden’s leadership.
He declared that Biden had “imported the terrorist army” — referencing groups like MS-13 and Tren de Aragua, which Trump has since labeled foreign terrorist organizations.
“Tren de Aragua has the same legal status as Al-Qaeda and ISIS. MS-13 has the same legal status as Al-Qaeda and ISIS,” Miller said.
“Our gratitude to El Salvador for agreeing to take custody of these terrorists is immense,” he added.
He then condemned the press for overlooking American victims of gang violence perpetrated by illegal immigrants, including Jocelyn Nungaray — a young girl allegedly killed by two such individuals.
Miller accused the press of needing to be “shamed” into reporting on her case.
As Leavitt watched from the podium, Miller continued his takedown — turning the focus onto the reporters themselves.
“And each and every one of you that sides over and over again with these MS-13 terrorists to the extent that you have the financial means to do so, you all choose to live in condos or homes or houses as far away from these kinds of gangbangers as you possibly can,” he said.
“If I offered any one of you a rent-free home with no taxes to pay in any of these gang neighborhoods and I said, ‘Your neighbors are MS-13 terrorists or Mexican mafia or Sinaloa Cartel or Tren de Aragua,’ I couldn’t pay you to live there,” Miller continued.
That blunt scenario seemed to break Leavitt’s composure for just a moment — a quick smile escaping before she regained her usual professional expression.
“But yet you, with your coverage, are trying to force innocent Americans to have these people as their neighbors, and that one day their daughter may be abducted from their home and raped and murdered,” Miller said.
“So you’re not going to get an ounce of sympathy from this administration or President Trump for the terrorists who’ve invaded our homes and our country,” he concluded.
Leavitt, typically unflappable, briefly let her reaction show — a testament to how raw and impactful Miller’s comments were.
His unapologetic takedown was more than deserved.
These reporters, often insulated by their luxurious lifestyles and distant from the realities of gang violence, are quick to defend violent criminals if it helps them target Republicans.
Their selective outrage shows no concern for actual victims or for communities devastated by the gangs they downplay in their reporting.
But under President Trump — with Miller and Leavitt leading the charge in the press room — that kind of narrative manipulation doesn’t go unchecked. And that’s something worth smiling about.