Fact Check: Did Karoline Leavitt tell Jasmine Crockett to 'Go back to Africa'?
WASHINGTON, DC: Karoline Leavitt made history in January 2025 by becoming the youngest White House Press Secretary at just 27. She has since been on the news and has always been outspoken about President Donald Trump's initiatives.
Recently, a rumor circulated online claiming that Karoline Leavitt told Rep Jasmine Crockett to "Go back to Africa". But is there any truth to this? Let's find out below.
Claim: Karoline Leavitt said 'Go back to Africa' to Jasmine Crockett
In late April, a rumor circulated online claiming that internet users "caught" Karoline Leavitt on a C-SPAN hot mic telling Jasmine Crockett, who is Black, to "Go back to Africa".
The rumor originated from a YouTube video titled 'Karoline Leavitt INSULTS Jasmine Crockett 'Go Back to Africa'—But Her Response Shocks All Of America'.
Moreover, the video featured a single image collage showing a photo of Leavitt next to a picture of Crockett.
According to the story, Leavitt made the "Go back to Africa" remark without realizing her microphone was on. After a moment, she realized that the mic picked up the comment and that C-SPAN broadcasted her words live, according to Snopes.
Karoline Leavitt MOCKS Jasmine Crockett “Go Back to Africa”—But Her Resp... https://t.co/w0kWoVechk via @YouTube
— Orquid House (@Orquidhaas) April 28, 2025
It is clear to me that Jasmine Crockett is not from Africa. She is from America, the US. Plymouth Rock landed where it did.
🇺🇸
The story added that Crockett waits to respond to Leavitt's remark later, choosing a quiet and measured approach.
The rumor soon made its way to other social media platforms such as Bluesky, Facebook, Instagram, and X.
False: The YouTube video was made for entertainment purposes
The claims made in the viral video are false, as the video had a disclaimer in the beginning stating "This story is not intended to depict, reference or represent any actual occurrences, persons or entities," according to Snopes.
Moreover, no news media outlets worldwide reported on any such event, per the fact-checking outlet.
Furthermore, searches on search engines such as Bing, DuckDuckGo, Google, and Yahoo showed no media reports on any such incident.
YouTube creators published videos on their channels that featured scripting and voice narration using artificial-intelligence (AI) tools, Snopes reported.
Another disclaimer at the bottom of the video's text description read, "The stories presented on this channel are entirely fictional and crafted solely for entertainment."
Karoline Leavitt slams Van Hollen for spending public funds on meeting with deported illegal immigrant
Karoline Leavitt criticized Senator Chris Van Hollen on April 21 after it was revealed that his trip to El Salvador to show solidarity with deported immigrant Kilmar Abrego Garcia was funded by taxpayers' money.
On 'Fox & Friends', Leavitt blasted Hollen’s actions as a misuse of public resources and accused him of advocating for a known criminal, according to Fox News.
“RIDICULOUS”: @PressSec slams Dem Sen. Van Hollen over taxpayer-funded trip to El Salvador to advocate for the return of a suspected MS-13 gang member. pic.twitter.com/HbdUrJvDVP
— FOX & Friends (@foxandfriends) April 21, 2025
She said, "He is an illegal alien, a foreign terrorist and a criminal MS-13 gang member who violated our country’s laws by coming here in the first place."
Leavitt accused Van Hollen and fellow Democrats of using Easter weekend to champion a criminal over American citizens.
“A slap in the face to American citizens … and millions of legal immigrants”: @PressSec on Democrats pushing for the return of a suspected MS-13 gang member. pic.twitter.com/61cMsEJgHP
— FOX & Friends (@foxandfriends) April 21, 2025
The White House Press Secretary said, "Shame on Senator Chris Van Hollen and the entire Democratic Party, who wasted Easter Sunday going on every television show in the country to advocate for the return of an illegal criminal gang member."
