Leavitt also discussed Trump’s conversations with Putin and Xi, describing them as tense and extremely direct.
She said Trump confronted Xi over issues including fentanyl precursors coming from China and pressed for action.
She also said Trump pushed China to purchase more American soybeans, framing the discussion around the interests of American farmers.
Leavitt’s larger message was unmistakable:
Trump doesn’t necessarily change his message simply because the audience changes.
What the public hears from Trump can closely resemble what happens behind the scenes.
And that may explain why some of Trump’s public comments have occasionally shocked Washington insiders.
But there is another important part of this story.
Leavitt is no longer serving as Trump’s White House press secretary.
She announced her departure in August, saying she wanted to spend more time with her family after welcoming her second child. Trump subsequently said she would remain an outside adviser and influential voice within the Republican Party.
So when Leavitt now talks about what she witnessed inside Trump’s administration, she is speaking as a former senior official who spent substantial time around the president.
Her comments don’t prove every rumor circulating online.
But they do provide a firsthand account of Trump’s communication style from someone who was regularly in the room.
And that is why her latest interview has attracted so much attention.
The question now is:
What else did Karoline Leavitt see — and what other stories from behind the scenes could eventually come out?
Because if her account is any indication, the conversations happening behind closed doors may be just as blunt as the ones Americans see on television.