White House press room veteran sticks it to Karoline Leavitt's 'sycophants and clowns'

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt's radical modifications to press briefing procedures have drawn scrutiny from The Independent's Andrew Feinberg, a veteran of covering the White House who characterized the changes as both humorous and "chilling."

In a Monday column, Feinberg highlighted significant departures from Trump's first term, when press secretaries including Sean Spicer, Kellyanne Conway, and Sarah Huckabee Sanders managed briefings. Leavitt has introduced what she calls "new media" representatives, often granting them first-question status that sets the tone for briefings.

The integration of alternative media figures has produced problematic results. Feinberg wrote, "Some of the newcomers are from conservative-leaning outlets who approach their jobs in a responsible, reputable manner. But others, to be frank, are sycophants and clowns who do little to help inform the American people."

Feinberg cited specific examples of problematic briefing participants. Plagiarist-turned-MAGA activist Benny Johnson opened one briefing with a fabricated account of his house being set ablaze in arson. According to the DC Fire Department, it was Johnson's neighbor's house that caught fire.

Podcaster Tim Pool, who has received financial support from Russian sources, used his briefing time to complain about mainstream media characterizations of "new media" figures and urged Leavitt to join him in disparaging traditional news outlets.

Pentagon briefing changes have followed a similar pattern. After mainstream reporters were removed for refusing government-imposed reporting restrictions, their positions were filled by far-right activists including Laura Loomer and former Representative Matt Gaetz (R-FL), who resigned from the House amid allegations involving sex with minors.

Feinberg identified a crucial distinction from Trump's first term: "What's different—and chilling—this time around is that Trump has now surrounded himself with people who actually believe the anti-press talk he has spent years spouting in public while remaining friendly in private. Trump may occasionally call me and my colleagues 'the enemy of the people,' but people like Vice President JD Vance, [Defense Secretary Pete] Hegseth, Attorney General Pam Bondi and others actually believe it."

Feinberg noted that Trump has historically valued press access despite public criticism of media outlets, regularly calling journalists and accepting their calls. "For all his talk about 'fake news,' he's spent years calling journalists and still takes calls from them on his mobile phone."