Politics

‘Shame On You’: Karoline Leavitt Smacks Down Reporter For Defending Violent Illegals

Published

3 days ago

March 31, 2025

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt didn’t hold back Monday when confronted by a liberal reporter suggesting ICE was deporting gang members based merely on tattoos and clothing choices.

White House Correspondent for The Independent, Andrew Feinberg, cited a document outlining criteria for identifying members of Venezuela-based gang Tren de Aragua (TDA), claiming, “You can get classified by simply having certain symbols in your tattoos and wearing certain streetwear brands. That alone is enough to get someone classified as TDA and sent to El Salvador?”

Leavitt swiftly corrected him. “That’s not true, actually, Andrew,” she fired back before delivering a blistering rebuke of both Feinberg and the media.

“Have you talked to the agents who have been putting their lives on the line to detain these foreign terrorists who have been terrorizing our communities?” Leavitt asked. “TDA is a vicious gang that has taken the lives of American women, and our agents on the front lines take up deporting these people with the utmost seriousness.”

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“There is a litany of criteria that they use to ensure that they qualify for deportation,” she said. “The president made it incredibly clear to the American public that there would be a mass deportation campaign of not just foreign terrorists, but also illegal criminal aliens who have been wreaking havoc on American communities.”

“Shame on you and shame on the mainstream media for trying to cover for these individuals! This is a vicious gang,” she added.

“You are questioning the credibility of these agents who are putting their life on the line to protect your life and the life of everybody in this group and everybody across the country,” Leavitt shot back. “And their credibility should be questioned?”

According to Feinberg and a federal validation guide used under the Alien Enemies Act, a suspected TDA member must score 8 points or more to be subject to AEA deportation. While tattoo symbolism can earn 4 points, and certain hand signs or graffiti markings can count for 2 points, those factors alone do not meet the threshold.

Here’s the document I was asking @PressSec about earlier.

To be “validated” as TDA one only needs 8 points. Just having tattoos and wearing certain street wear brands can get you the requisite 8 points absent anything else. https://t.co/vRKoWFnxDg pic.twitter.com/7VsL6MNrK8

— Andrew Feinberg (@AndrewFeinberg) March 31, 2025

The document states that at least one scoring category must involve recent conduct or evidence within the past five years—such as criminal activity, court records, or intercepted communications indicating active involvement with the gang.

Since returning to office in January, President Trump has ramped up efforts to crack down on illegal immigration, significantly increasing deportations and reinforcing U.S. border security. His administration has deployed thousands of military personnel to the U.S.-Mexico border, reinstated the “Remain in Mexico” policy for asylum seekers, and expanded the use of expedited removal proceedings.

In a recent high-profile move, 17 gang members were deported to El Salvador in March under the 1798 Alien Enemies Act, a law that allows the government to bypass certain due process protections. Despite some backlash, Trump’s hardline immigration agenda continues to resonate with many voters.