Fact Check: Did White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt say 'Jesus didn't have electricity'?

Karoline Leavitt was accused of stating 'Jesus Christ didn't have electricity' in a press conference when asked about the tariff war between Canada and US
UPDATED FEB 4, 2025
Viral posts claimed that White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said 'Jesus didn't have electricity' during a press conference (MEGA/GC Images)
Viral posts claimed that White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said 'Jesus didn't have electricity' during a press conference (MEGA/GC Images)

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.



 

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."

(Reddit)
A Reddit user shared that they made the meme to attract attention to Canada's threats to cut off electricity imports to the US (Reddit)

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.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt holds her first news conference in the Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House on January 28, 2025 in Washington, DC. At 27-years-old, Leavitt is the youngest White House press secretary in U.S. history. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt holds her first news conference in the Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House on January 28, 2025, in Washington, DC (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

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.”



 

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 !!"



 

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.

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