'Not the party of JFK or Obama': Leavitt accuses Dems of embracing 'far-left, extreme liberals'
WASHINGTON, DC: White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt didn’t hold back during a recent interview with Sean Hannity. She claimed the Democratic Party has drifted far from the days of its past presidents and now leans heavily on its most progressive members.
"I believe there are millions of Americans across this country who see these Democrats for who they are," Leavitt said.
"These are radical, extreme liberals, socialists, communists, whatever you want to call them, Sean. What matters most are their extreme policy positions."
Karoline Leavitt slams Democratic Party policies
Leavitt criticized what she sees as the Democratic Party's new direction.
She accused Democrats of supporting higher taxes, calling to defund or abolish police departments, opposing private prisons, and favoring less strict enforcement along the southern border.
Karoline Leavitt says today’s Democratic Party is no longer the party of JFK or even Barack Obama, warning it has been taken over by a radical far-left agenda:
— Sean Hannity 🇺🇸 (@seanhannity) August 11, 2026
“I believe there are millions of Americans across this country who see these Democrats for who they are. These are… pic.twitter.com/T7Sc03yIKg
Leavitt drew a direct contrast with past Democratic leaders, saying, "This is no longer the Democratic Party of JFK. Heck, this is not even the Democratic Party of Barack Obama.
“This is a party that has been totally captivated by these far-left, extreme liberals."
"Who support massively raising your taxes, who support abolishing the police, who support abolishing private prisons, and who support reopening our southern border and our nation's borders to illegal alien criminals from all over the world," she said, framing these positions as representative of the party's current mainstream rather than its fringe.
Karoline Leavitt credits Trump for safer America
Leavitt also criticized the Biden administration, arguing that Americans experienced the consequences of these progressive policies during Joe Biden's four years in office.
“We had 4 years of that under Joe Biden.”
“Thanks to President Trump and Republicans and common sense policies across the board, our country is safer. Our country is more affordable. We cannot allow these radical, extreme, far-left liberals to take power!"
Her comments align with the message the Trump campaign has consistently pushed ahead of the midterm elections.
The campaign has sought to portray Democrats as being driven by their most progressive members, even as some centrist Democrats have attempted to distance themselves from positions such as defunding the police or abolishing ICE.
"These are radical Democrats who support terrible policies across the board. Again, taking away your private property, abolishing the police, banning prisons, and just allowing complete lawlessness."
Her remarks come as Democrats remain divided over how much to embrace the party's progressive wing, with outspoken socialists and more cautious moderates competing to shape its direction ahead of November.