Karoline Leavitt berates CNN's Kaitlan Collins over inflation and the economy

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt had a fiery exchange with CNN journalist Kaitlan Collins over the president's recent comments admonishing Americans to buy fewer gifts this Christmas for their children.

Collins pressed Leavitt on whether President Donald Trump's comments contradicted his separate claim that the economy was recovering in his second term.

'Everything I'm telling you is the truth, backed by real, factual data, and you just don't want to report on it because you want to push untrue narratives about the president.'

"If the economy is as strong as the president has said it is, then why is he telling parents two weeks before Christmas that they should only buy two or three dolls for their children?" Collins asked.

"Look, what the president is saying is that if we want products made right here in America, if we want them to be made from American small businesses, which is a large part of the reason the president has effectively implemented tariffs, then we're going to have better quality products right here in the United States," Leavitt responded. "Maybe you'll pay a dollar or two more, but you will get better quality, and you'll be supporting your fellow Americans by buying American."

She went on to claim that every economic measure has gotten better under the Trump administration, and she cited inflation and gas prices.

"So, the best is yet to come. The president is digging our country out of the economic hole that the previous administration put us in, and that's what he's talking about," Leavitt said.

"We've covered the economy, but there's mixed signals in terms of what that looks like," Collins replied, adding that grocery prices have gone up during the Trump administration.

When Collins kept pressing Leavitt, the press secretary accused the reporter of a double standard and reminded her of the media's complicity with the messaging from the previous administration.

"My predecessor was standing at this podium, but now you want to ask me a lot of questions about it, which I'm happy to answer, but I will just add, there's a lot more scrutiny on this issue from this press corps," Leavitt said.

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"My predecessor stood up at this podium, and she said inflation doesn't exist. She said the border was secure, and people like you just took her at her word, and those were two utter lies!" Leavitt continued. "Everything I'm telling you is the truth, backed by real, factual data, and you just don't want to report on it because you want to push untrue narratives on the president."

Video of the argument was posted to social media, where it was widely circulated and viewed.

Some polling has shown a loss of support for Trump's policies related to the economy as the pivotal midterm elections grow closer.

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