Fact Check: Did Karoline Leavitt tweet that 'Mary was as young as 12 when she gave birth to Jesus'?
WASHINGTON, DC: A viral screenshot claiming to show a post by White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt circulated widely across social media platforms. The purported post references figures like Mary, Aisha, and Juliet to suggest that the idea of when a girl is "ready" is based on cultural norms.
The screenshot has sparked widespread outrage and debate, leading many to question whether it was genuinely posted by Leavitt.
Claim: Karoline Leavitt shared a post arguing that when a girl is ‘ready’ depends on cultural norms
In late July 2025, a screenshot began circulating online that appeared to show a post made by Karoline Leavitt from her official @PressSec account on X (formerly Twitter).
The screenshot that shows a July 24, 2025, post reads, “Scholars say Mary was as young as 12 when she gave birth to Jesus. Mohammed consummated his marriage with Aisha when she was just 9. Juliet Capulet was 14 in Shakespeare's famous story. The point being that a when a girl is 'ready' is predicated purely on arbitrary cultural norms.”
The screenshot gained traction across X, Threads, Facebook, and Bluesky, all of which are now archived, where it was shared widely and treated as an authentic statement made by Leavitt.
Many users reacted with outrage and concern over the nature of the message and its implications.
Fact Check: False, Karoline Leavitt made no such post
The image did not originate from Karoline Leavitt or her official White House account. It was created as a fake and posted to the subreddit r/TOTALLYREALTWEETS, a community dedicated entirely to fabricated screenshots made to resemble real posts.
The fake tweet was uploaded by Reddit user u/SOYBOYPILLED, who describes themselves as the "Dips**t fake tweet writer for r/totallyrealtweets."
In the comments section of the post, the user wrote, “This sub is and always has been fake tweets, all written by one lone idiot.”
Searches on X for the phrase “Mary was as young as 12” from Leavitt’s @PressSec account yielded no results.
Additionally, no mainstream news sources have reported that such a statement was ever made by her.
The viral screenshot was not a genuine government communication and has no basis in fact.
In response to users asking about the image, u/SOYBOYPILLED explained their intent behind the content in the comments section, “People sure do think my work is real a lot, as it tends to skate a fine line between absurdity and believability. Some say that's the mark of good satire. Some say it's deeply irresponsible.”
They acknowledged that while some may find the work misleading, they see value in satirical expression and confirmed the subreddit has never posted real tweets.
The satirical post spread amid renewed attention to Donald Trump-Jeffrey Epstein ties
The viral screenshot gained traction during a period of heightened attention to the White House’s handling of documents related to Jeffrey Epstein.
The image circulated as the administration faces scrutiny for its decision not to release additional files connected to the Epstein investigation, especially after the Justice Department and the FBI released a memo saying there was no incriminating "client list" tied to the disgraced financier.
While the topics are unrelated, the political climate may have contributed to the viral spread of the satirical image.
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.
