White House Press Secretary Carolyn Leavitt’s frantic media tour across Fox News and Newsmax was a textbook exercise in political projection and relentless message control, aimed squarely at countering two political disasters for the Trump administration: the economy and the drug boat strikes. In a display of what critics call shameless spin, Leavitt repeatedly attempted to gaslight the loyalist bases by insisting the economy is fixed, the opposition is composed of “con artists,” and the administration’s actions are motivated by pure, selfless dedication to the American people—even as the facts openly contradicted her claims.
Leavitt’s primary goal was to reverse the disastrous polling following President Trump’s self-proclaimed “A++++” economic grade. Her core message was both condescending and absolute: the economy is fixed, and the only remaining challenge is getting the American people to believe it.
The Inheritance Myth: Leavitt opened both segments by claiming President Trump “inherited the worst inflation crisis in modern American history from the Biden administration” and that he and his team “have been working to fix it,” successfully. This is a direct projection of the Republican playbook: Democrats fix Republican-created messes, only to have Republicans return to power and claim they fixed the mess left by the Democrats. Critics point out that 10 out of the last 11 U.S. recessions began under Republican administrations, turning Leavitt’s claim into a study of historical irony.
Tariffs as a Solution: When pressed on high prices, especially for groceries, Leavitt touted the administration’s $12 billion aid package for farmers, claiming it was funded by successful tariffs that have “brought in billions of dollars back into our country.” This is a breathtaking political spin. As critics quickly noted, the tariffs themselves—which led to a trade war with China—were the original cause of financial pain for American farmers, forcing the need for a bailout in the first place, just as they did in Trump’s first term. Leavitt is essentially demanding credit for applying a small bandage to a gaping wound the administration itself inflicted.
The Soybeans Lie: Leavitt further claimed that President Trump had convinced President Xi of China to “continue purchasing or begin purchasing again American soybeans,” asserting that China had stopped out of disrespect for the Biden administration. This is a flat-out objective lie. Data shows that soybean sales to China declined dramatically after Trump won election and introduced his tariffs, recovering somewhat under President Biden, only to drop again under the current administration.
Leavitt was also forced to defend the administration’s highly controversial foreign policy actions: ordering lethal strikes on suspected drug boats in the Caribbean, juxtaposed with the pardon of former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández, who was convicted of trafficking hundreds of tons of cocaine into the U.S.
Projection on the Military: Leavitt attempted to paint the opposition as morally bankrupt, claiming it “speaks to the depravity of the Democrat party” that they are “attacking our military leadership” and “brave men and women” who conducted the strikes. This shifts the focus from the legality and morality of the order to the perceived attack on the soldiers.
The Drug War Paradox: Leavitt justified the strikes by referencing the GOP platform to “demolish foreign drug cartels” and the grief of American families who have lost loved ones to overdoses. Yet, this dedication to stopping drug flow rings hollow against the backdrop of the Hernández pardon—a move that freed a man who was convicted of running his country as a narco-state. Critics assert the administration has no credibility on suppressing drugs, as their actions suggest a motive driven by political expediency or “owning the libs,” not a consistent war on drug trafficking. Furthermore, national security experts under both Republican and Democratic administrations have questioned the legality of the strikes, which critics argue constitute a war crime due to the lack of due process and the failure to attempt rescue of capsized, helpless individuals.
Leavitt’s media appearances demonstrated an administration desperately trying to rally its base around a narrative that is increasingly detached from the facts and the public’s lived experience. From gaslighting the American people about their own pocketbooks to the cynical juxtaposition of pardoning a drug kingpin while ordering lethal strikes on suspected drug traffickers, the press secretary’s tour was a high-stakes effort to manage a political disaster. The core problem, however, is that an aggressive defense of demonstrable falsehoods only reinforces the perception of hypocrisy and shamelessness among those not already in the cult of personality.
President Donald Trump declared during an announcement on Monday that taking Tylenol, the US equivalent of paracetamol, during pregnancy causes autism in babies, and former President Obama has hit out at him for “undermining public health” with his statement.
Namely, Trump claimed that “There are certain groups of people that don’t take vaccines and don’t take any pills, that have no autism.
Turning to US Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr, Trump asked, “Is that a correct statement?”
“Ideally, you don’t take it at all, but if you have to, if you can’t tough it out, if there’s a problem, you’re going to end up doing it.”
His statement comes despite the World Health Organization stressing that there is “currently no conclusive scientific evidence confirming a possible link between autism and use of acetaminophen,” the non-branded name for the drug sold as Tylenol.
WHO responded to Trump’s announcement with a statement that read, “Globally, nearly 62 million people (1 in 127) have autism spectrum disorder, a diverse group of conditions related to development of the brain. Although awareness and diagnosis have improved in recent years, the exact causes of autism have not been established, and it is understood there are multiple factors that can be involved.”
“We have the spectacle of my successor making broad claims around certain drugs and autism that have been continuously disproved,” Obama said in front of a 14,000-strong audience in London.
“The degree to which that undermines public health, the degree to which that can do harm to women who are pregnant, the degree to which that creates anxiety for parents who do have children who are autistic which, by the way, itself is subject to a spectrum and a lot of what is being trumpeted as these massive increases actually have to do with a broadening of criteria across that spectrum so that people can actually get services and help…
“All of that is violence against the truth.”
Tylenol representatives also issued a statement after Trump’s comments on the medication, stating that it is “one of the most studied medications in history,” adding that it is “safe when used as directed by expecting mothers, infants and children.”
The company further stated, “The facts remain unchanged: over a decade of rigorous research, endorsed by leading medical professionals, confirm there is no credible evidence linking acetaminophen to autism.
“Acetaminophen is used worldwide as a first line of defense for pain relief and fever reduction, at the recommendation of independent public health and leading medical professionals and in accordance with the product label.
“High fevers and pain are widely recognized as potential risks to a pregnancy if left untreated, especially in the first trimester. Remember to talk to your doctor.
“We prioritize science as the core of how we provide care, and that will never change.”
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