Fact Check: Did White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt say 'Jesus didn't have electricity'?
WASHINGTON, DC: Karoline Leavitt recently made history by becoming the youngest White House press secretary in the US at just 27 years of age. She garnered attention after her first press briefing where she fielded questions regarding the recent federal grants and loans freeze and other topics.
However, since her first briefing, an online rumor circulated claiming that Karoline Leavitt said “Jesus didn't have electricity”. But is there any truth to this? Let us find out below.
Claim: WH press secretary Karoline Leavitt said 'Jesus didn't have electricity'
A rumor circulated online in late January and early February claiming that White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt referred to the life of Jesus Christ as a reason Americans should not worry about the possibility of Canada cutting off electricity imports in response to President Donald Trump's tariff policy.
The American people are apparently ok with this.
— Brad (@BraddrofliT) February 1, 2025
I just can’t anymore. pic.twitter.com/UesAYPWk4k
As per the online rumor, Leavitt said, “They want you to panic, but Trump wants you to remember Jesus didn't have electricity either, and he did just fine.”
The claim that Leavitt made the statement quickly went viral across social media platforms, according to Snopes.
False: No evidence to prove Karoline Leavitt made this statement
The claim made in the online rumor is completely false as there is no demonstrable evidence that Karoline Leavitt ever made such a statement, according to Snopes. Also, the post on X has been flagged as false.
According to the outlet, none of the videos from her White House briefing on January 28 as well as two question-and-answer sessions from January 29 had her quotes which have been making rounds across social media.
Snopes mentioned that the earliest instance of the claim dated to January 29, when a meme with the quote superimposed over a photo of Leavitt from her January 28 press briefing appeared in a post on Reddit's r/PoliticalMemes subreddit.
Moreover, in a comment reply to another Reddit user asking if the quote was real, the user who made the post answered "No. Actually I'm making light of the fact that nobody even asked the question to begin with."
The user explained that they made the meme to draw attention to the lack of media interest in investigating the seriousness of Canadian threats to cut off electricity imports, per Snopes.
Karoline Leavitt dubbed 'rock star' by conservatives after first White House briefing
Karoline Leavitt has been dubbed a “rock star” by conservatives after her first White House briefing on January 28. The press secretary took the internet by storm as Trump supporters praised her first press conference.
Leavitt, dressed in a magenta suit with a gold cross dangling from her neck, stepped onto the White House pressroom podium to take questions from several reporters with different political affiliations.
Leavitt said in her briefing, “I can assure you that you’ll be hearing from both him (Trump) and me as much as possible.” She spoke for almost an hour and responded to questions from journalists.
The New Hampshire native has been a fierce Trump supporter throughout his campaign against former vice president Kamala Harris.
Veteran actor James Woods wrote on X, “Karoline Leavitt is a rock star. These next four years are going to be sublime. Never thought I would say this, but I’m going to miss seeing Jim Acosta being her piñata! Break out the popcorn.”
Karoline Leavitt is a rock star. These next four years are going to be sublime.
— James Woods (@RealJamesWoods) January 28, 2025
Never thought I would say this, but I’m going to miss seeing Jim Acosta being her piñata!
Break out the popcorn. 🍿 pic.twitter.com/26V4nYwLQW
Similarly, Coign Vice President Cassie Smedile Docksey stated, "How refreshing to have a Press Sec at the podium who can answer questions directly and without reading word for word from a script. We are so back. Congrats, @karolineleavitt !!"
How refreshing to have a Press Sec at the podium who can answer questions directly and without reading word for word from a script.
— Cassie Smedile Docksey (@CMSmedile) January 28, 2025
We are so back.
Congrats, @karolineleavitt !!
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.