Donald Trump Throws White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt Under the Bus at His Own Press Conference: 'Maybe I Have Bad PR People'

During a White House press briefing on Tuesday, January 20, the president unveiled what he called a “book of accomplishments” marking the first year of his second term. While highlighting what he described as major economic wins, Trump suggested that the message wasn’t reaching the public — and hinted that his own communications team might be at fault.

“We’ve had the best stock market in history, the best 401Ks in history, and we inherited a mess. The numbers that we inherited were way up. And now we brought them, almost all of them, way down,” he said. “I mean, I’m not getting — maybe I have bad public relations people, but we’re not getting it across.”

The remark appeared to put the spotlight on White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, who had promoted the briefing earlier that day. Ahead of Trump’s appearance, she shared a polished introduction for the president on social media.

“In just one year, President Trump has accomplished more than many presidents do in eight,” Leavitt wrote on X. “We've never had a president fight harder to deliver on the promises he made to the American people than President Trump…”

She later reposted the message and teased Trump’s arrival. “A very special guest will be joining me at the podium today,” Leavitt, 28, wrote shortly before the briefing began. “TUNE IN!”

The press conference took another unexpected turn when Trump nearly caught his finger in a large binder clip holding together a thick stack of documents. A loud snap echoed through the room as the 79-year-old removed the clip and instinctively pulled back.

“Ooh, I'm glad my finger wasn't in that sucker. That could've done some damage,” he exclaimed.

Trump then insisted he would have handled it without showing discomfort. “You know what? I wouldn't have shown the pain,” he said.

He continued to fixate on the moment, asking reporters, “Did you hear that?” before calling the snap “nasty.”

“But, I would not have shown the pain,” he repeated. “I would've acted like nothing happened as my finger fell off. That was nasty. I think somebody did that.”

Scanning the room, Trump pointed toward a member of the press and cracked a joke. “It was him. It was my man. How are you?” he said with a grin.

The moment quickly circulated on social media, sparking a wave of reactions from critics.

One X user wrote, “Trump just randomly throws s--- on the floor for someone else to pick up. He then brags about how tough he would be if his little finger got pinched in a paper clip. The dude is a f------ clown. The best thing he did was throw that b------ book of accomplishments on the floor.”

Another added, “This man is seriously mentally ill. An American Caligula about to burn the world.”

“Its behavior more usually seen in assisted living centers,” a third commented.

“He's really deranged and getting worse with each day,” a fourth wrote.