During a press briefing, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt was pressed on President Donald Trump’s recent social media comments expressing frustration with the Department of Justice.
The exchange centered on whether Trump’s remarks contradicted his inaugural promise not to weaponize federal power against political opponents.
A reporter asked, “On a different topic, going back to the President’s social media post from over the weekend regarding the DOJ and his seeding frustration that they hadn’t taken action quickly enough, I want to point to something that the President said during his inaugural address, never again will the immense power of the state. You weaponize to persecute political opponents. You do not allow that to happen. Is the President going back on his promise?”
Leavitt responded directly, rejecting the suggestion.
“No. In fact, the President is fulfilling his promise to restore a Department of Justice that demands accountability, and it is not weaponizing the Department of Justice to demand accountability for those who weaponize the Department of Justice, and nobody knows what that looks like, more than President Trump,” she said.
The press secretary argued that critics were attempting to mislead the public.
“We are not going to tolerate gaslighting from anyone in the media or from anyone on the other side who is trying to say that it’s the president who is weaponizing the DOJ. It was Joe Biden and his attorney general who weaponized the DOJ,” Leavitt said.
She accused the prior administration of abusing federal law enforcement against political opponents.
“Joe Biden used this sacred American institution to go after his political opponent in the middle of an election year, and you look at people like Adam Schiff and like James Comey and like Letitia James who the president is rightfully frustrated. He wants accountability for these corrupt fraudsters who abuse their power, he abused their oath of office to target the former president and then candidate for the highest office in the land,” Leavitt continued.
Leavitt added that Trump’s stance reflects the expectations of the electorate.
“And I think the President is reaffirmed in those frustrations and his hope for accountability by the millions and millions of people who re elected him to this office with a mandate to demand accountability. And the President has not been shy about this,” she said.
She pointed to Trump’s public statements earlier this year as consistent with his current position.
“Gabe, in fact, when he traveled to the Department of Justice earlier this year, all of you were there to cover it, he said, quote, I demand a full and complete accountability for wrongs and abuses that have occurred. The American people gave a mandate to investigate and root the corruption out of our system, and that’s what the President wants to see done.”
BREAKING Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt just ended this “reporter’s” career trying to gaslight her:
“We are NOT TOLERATING any gaslighting from the media or anyone on the other side”
MIC DROP
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— MAGA Voice (@MAGAVoice) September 22, 2025 [2]