Fact Check: Are videos claiming Karoline Leavitt was slapped by a judge in court real?
WASHINGTON, DC: Karoline Leavitt made history in January 2025 by becoming the youngest White House press secretary of the United States at the age of just 27.
Since her appointment, many rumors about her have made their way online, and most of them have been debunked. Recently, videos claiming that a judge slapped Karoline Leavitt in court have been making the rounds on social media. But is there any truth to this? Let us find out below.
Claim: Karoline Leavitt was slapped by a judge in court
In May 2025, many YouTube videos claimed that a judge slapped White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt.
A YouTube channel named Brano Stories uploaded a video titled 'Judge Slaps Karoline Leavitt in Court—4 Minutes Later, His Corrupt Empire Begins to Crumble'.
The video has so far garnered 78,000 views, and around 2,000 people liked the video.
Similarly, three other videos titled 'Corrupt Judge Slaps Karoline Leavitt—Minutes Later, His Entire Empire is Destroyed!', 'Judge Slaps Karoline Leavitt—4 Minutes Later, His Empire Crumbles! | Amazing Stories', and 'Judge Slaps White House Press Secretary—What She Does Next Destroys His Career' also made the same claims.
Fact Check: Videos are fake as no proper evidence to back the claim
The claims made in the viral videos are false, as there is no proper evidence to back the claim that Karoline Leavitt was slapped by a judge in court, fact-checking outlet Snopes reported.
Moreover, three of the YouTube videos claimed the judge mentioned is Edward Hargrove of Washington, DC, while the fourth claimed his name was Richard Franklin of Boston.
Furthermore, the language was similar in each video, though the voice and images used were different. The voices had a mechanical quality that suggested they were generated using artificial intelligence (AI) tools, as per Snopes.
Meanwhile, searches on search engines such as Google and Bing showed no results of any such incident.
One of the YouTube videos also included a disclaimer, which appeared for a fraction of a second at the beginning.
The disclaimer read, "All information in this video is compiled from reputable and reliable news sources. However, the content is intended solely for informational purposes to help viewers gain a broader understanding and perspective on famous figures. This content is not intended to offend or harm anyone."
It further read, "We do not claim that all the information in the video is entirely accurate or complete. However, we do not distort or misrepresent the origins of the information we present."
Similar rumors about Karoline Leavitt have been debunked earlier
This is not the first time a rumor about Karoline Leavitt has circulated across the internet. Similar claims have been debunked about the White House press secretary earlier.
In April, there were rumors as many videos circulated online claiming that the White House press secretary successfully sued television talk show 'The View' for $800 million.
The claims were later debunked as the videos were uploaded from YouTube accounts that are known for posting fictional content, according to Snopes.
Similarly, another rumor claimed that LEavitt was kicked off 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!' after a confrontation with the host.
Another YouTube video titled 'Karoline Leavitt Kicked Off From Jimmy Kimmel's Show After Fiery Clash' was uploaded on April 26.
However, this was also later debunked as Jimmy Kimmel has never conducted an interview with Karoline Leavitt on 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!', Snopes reported.
