Karoline Leavitt’s Instagram Blunder Draws More Viewers Than Trump TV

Former White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt accidentally went live on Instagram while lying in bed with her five-month-old daughter, drawing a sudden audience that promptly overshadowed the struggling viewership of Trump TV.

The accidental broadcast happened Sunday afternoon when the 29-year-old communications official mistakenly triggered a livestream while trying to edit an Instagram Reel.

A screenshot of the quick blunder captured by The Daily Beast showed that 1,157 viewers immediately tuned in, causing a shocked Leavitt to end the stream abruptly. She later posted a lighthearted follow-up clarifying the mistake and joking that she was signing off for a Sunday nap.

“Just accidentally went live while trying to edit a reel LOL,” she clarified in an Instagram post. “Sorry to those who got excited... but maybe I should go live soon and I can answer some questions from you guys?! For now, we are going to take our Sunday nap. Byeee!”

The incident illustrates a broader embarrassment for the White House's newly launched 24-hour livestream, officially named TRUMP TV: The Essentials Station.

Trump TV initially debuted on Monday, September 21, pulling in roughly 8,500 viewers.

Viewership sharply tanked over its first week, falling below 1,000 and eventually bottoming out at an all-time low of 187 viewers.

Leavitt's brief, unintentional stream comfortably eclipsed those figures with 1,157 concurrent viewers, according to a screenshot captured by The Daily Beast.

The continuous White House YouTube livestream was created after the administration unceremoniously banned major outlets like CNN, MS NOW and Politico, prompting multiple television networks to pause their pooled coverage in solidarity.

However, the state-run platform has struggled to hold the internet's attention, with commentators noting that even basic content — like a live feed of a whirring box fan — drew a larger audience.

“The only channel doing worse is the Strait of Hormuz,” Jimmy Kimmel quipped on his Thursday, September 24 show.

The major network media boycott has officially ended, but coverage continues to be very unstable and unpredictable.

The primary television pool — comprising ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox News and CNN — agreed to resume filming and broadcasting White House events after a week-long blackout.

However, the agreement is shaky, as the administration continues to clash with specific outlets.

Network executives have warned that their return to coverage is strictly conditional. Under a tentative plan, if the White House blocks CNN during its designated pool rotation window, the networks will decide collectively whether to substitute another crew or let coverage go completely dark again.