White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt will take the podium this afternoon amid escalating media scrutiny surrounding the Trump Administration’s latest enforcement and trade initiatives. The briefing follows a high-profile bilateral meeting between President Donald Trump and El Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele and precedes Thursday’s scheduled visit by Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
Deportation Controversy: Media vs. Facts
At the center of the controversy is the deportation of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran national with reported ties to the violent MS-13 gang, now housed in El Salvador’s CECOT supermax prison. Despite extensive court proceedings upholding his removal, Democrats and mainstream media outlets have launched a new pressure campaign alleging that Garcia was wrongfully deported and must be returned to the U.S.
Leavitt is expected to counter those claims by reaffirming Garcia’s illegal immigration status, foreign citizenship, and the Trump Administration’s legal basis for deporting foreign nationals designated as members of terrorist organizations. Officials have repeatedly stated that unless El Salvador unilaterally chooses to release Garcia, there is no legal mechanism requiring his return.
China Tariffs and Global Economic Realignment
Leavitt will also field questions on President Trump’s recent decision to implement 145% tariffs on Chinese goods in a sweeping effort to rebalance global trade and combat CCP-backed economic manipulation. The move has ignited sharp reactions from Beijing and rattled global markets, but administration officials point to a surge in diplomatic outreach as evidence that the strategy is working.
According to the White House, more than 75 nations have already contacted U.S. trade officials in the wake of the tariff announcement to explore new trade arrangements with Washington.
Thursday’s meeting with Prime Minister Meloni is expected to touch on transatlantic economic cooperation, EU defense contributions, and future participation in U.S.-led trade realignments.
Press Expectations
While the press corps is expected to zero in on the Garcia case, sources inside the White House say Leavitt will hold firm in defending the administration’s immigration and national security priorities. Additionally, she may deliver key talking points on:
- The administration’s commitment to deporting violent foreign offenders
- U.S.-El Salvador cooperation under the Alien Removal Initiative
- Expanded diplomatic ties with Italy and Giorgia Meloni’s role as a key European conservative ally
- The success of tariff diplomacy in spurring global realignment away from China
Leavitt’s performance today could mark another defining moment in a week of consequential foreign policy moves for the Trump White House.