Fact Check: Did Karoline Leavitt say Trump lacks enough intelligence to make Iran decisions?

WASHINGTON, DC: Karoline Leavitt, a long-time supporter of President Donald Trump, is at the center of a viral social media rumor. Several posts claim that Leavitt said Trump doesn’t have enough intelligence to make decisions about Iran. But is there any verified report to back this up? Let’s check the facts.

Claim: Karoline Leavitt says Trump lacks enough intelligence to make Iran decisions

Prominent humorist and playwright Paul Rudnick shared a post on X claiming that White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said, “It’s hard for President Trump to make key decisions on Iran when he doesn’t have enough intelligence.” Rudnick added, “Bless her heart,” and paired the post with a photo of Leavitt at the White House press briefing room.

The post went viral amid tensions between the US and Iran, including discussions about the Strait of Hormuz. The claim spread beyond X to platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Threads. Within hours, Rudnick’s post had over 289,000 views, with many users reacting as if the quote were true. One commented, “It’s her only truth she’s ever told!”

Another wrote, “He certainly does not have enough intelligence. Her first honest statement regarding Trump.”

The alleged quote gained more attention because it came at a time when Trump had reportedly made false claims about the Iran war and his foreign policy record during a recent White House briefing.

In the comments, an X user even shared a screenshot of a CNN article titled, “Fact Check: Trump makes false claims about the Iran war and his foreign policy record.”

Fact Check: False, Karoline Leavitt did not make that claim about Trump

The claim that Karoline Leavitt said President Trump lacks intelligence is false. There is no evidence that she ever made this statement.

Searches of news sources, recent press briefings from March–April 2026 on Iran, the Strait of Hormuz, and related diplomacy, as well as her official statements, show no credible reports of her saying anything like this.

Leavitt has frequently spoken in support of Trump’s Iran policy, discussing topics like keeping options open, productive talks, and military readiness, but she has never suggested that Trump lacks intelligence.

Public statements and transcripts from her briefings confirm that she defends administration policy and sometimes disputes inaccurate media reports, but she has not made any statement claiming that Trump lacks intelligence.

If Leavitt had actually made such a statement, many Republicans, and likely Trump himself, would have reacted to it. The post is purely satirical and appears to have been created as clickbait. Social media users shared the claim without providing any evidence, such as a video or official source.

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.