Tensions flared Monday after White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt blasted Huffington Post reporter S.V. Dáte as a “left-wing hack” following his article mocking her response to a question, prompting Leavitt to call the piece “wild” on X.
“S.V. Dáte of the Huffington Post is not a journalist interested in the facts,” wrote Leavitt. “He is a left-wing hack who has consistently attacked President Trump for years and constantly bombards my phone with Democrat talking points.”
She went on to share screenshots of messages between her and Dáte, citing, “Activists who masquerade as real reporters do a disservice to the profession.”
The question concerned the upcoming meeting between President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Budapest, with Dáte beginning the text chain by writing, “Is the president aware of the significance of Budapest? In 1994, Russia promised, in Budapest, not to invade Ukraine if it gave up the nuclear weapons it inherited when the Soviet Union dissolved. Does he not see why Ukraine might object to that site? Who suggested Budapest?”
Leavitt responded, “Your mom did.”
Dáte went on to ask if she found his question to be “funny.” She replied, “Stop texting me your disingenuous, biased, and bulls— questions.”
Leavitt cited Dáte’s profile as proof of bias, noting his feed “reads like an anti-Trump personal diary.” The reporter has openly criticized the White House—his biography touts a book on Trump’s “failed management” of COVID-19 and his “corruption” of the GOP—and frequently attacks the administration online. In his article, Dáte sarcastically claimed HuffPost was “devastated” and “fearful of asking more questions,” mocking Leavitt’s “your mom” response as “your tax dollars at work.”
For context, S.V. Dáte of the Huffington Post is not a journalist interested in the facts. He is a left-wing hack who has consistently attacked President Trump for years and constantly bombards my phone with Democrat talking points.
Just take a look at @svdate’s feed, it reads… https://t.co/NxWn2mdUsa pic.twitter.com/v7owI5N4us
— Karoline Leavitt (@PressSec) October 20, 2025
A social media user pointed out how Dáte was “biased,” sharing a screenshot of a post he created in 2023, which read, “As a journalist, it’s not my job to tell you who to vote for. As a journalist, it IS my job to warn you that if we vote Donald Trump back into office, it may be the last vote we ever cast.”
The prime minister of Hungary, Viktor Orbán, will host the upcoming meeting between Trump and Putin in Budapest.
