White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt delivered a blunt message to critics inside the conservative movement who have been attacking President Donald Trump over the escalating conflict with Iran.
The remarks came as divisions among conservatives continue to grow over Trump’s decision to launch major military strikes against the Iranian regime.
An X clip of Leavitt’s comments quickly spread online after she dismissed the idea that social media outrage represents the views of the broader country.
“X is not real life,” Leavitt told reporters during a press gaggle outside the White House.
“This president lives in the real world,” she added.
Leavitt made the remarks when asked about infighting within the Republican Party and parts of the MAGA base criticizing Trump’s military action.
She pushed back hard against those critics and defended the president’s foreign policy approach.
“President Trump is the leader of MAGA,” Leavitt said. “He’s the creator of the MAGA movement.”
She also argued that Trump’s actions against Iran are fully aligned with the America First philosophy that helped power his political movement.
“There is nothing more America First than taking out terrorists who have maimed and killed our own servicemen and women,” Leavitt said.
She also pointed to threats made by Iranian leaders against the United States as justification for the military campaign.
The comments come as several prominent conservative figures have publicly criticized the war effort.
Among the loudest critics have been media personalities Tucker Carlson and Megyn Kelly.
Both have warned that the conflict could drag the United States into another long foreign war.
Despite those concerns, Trump has shown no sign that he plans to change course.
Last weekend, the president ordered a major military operation targeting Iran after nuclear negotiations between Washington and Tehran collapsed.
The operation, known as Operation Epic Fury, involved joint strikes with Israel against key Iranian targets, as the Daily Mail reported.
In the early stages of the strikes, Iran’s longtime ruler, Ali Khamenei, was killed.
Trump has since claimed the operation has wiped out large portions of Iran’s leadership structure.
The fighting has already spread across parts of the Middle East as Iran retaliates with attacks against American interests and allies in the region.
Six U.S. servicemembers were killed in Kuwait after an Iranian drone strike earlier in the conflict.
Iran has also launched attacks targeting locations in the United Arab Emirates and the U.S. embassy in Riyadh.
Leavitt argued that Trump’s actions prove he is following through on a promise he has made for years regarding Iran’s nuclear ambitions.
“When he has said the Iranian regime can never obtain a nuclear bomb, well now he’s finally acting on it,” she said.
She also praised Trump for what she described as a willingness to do what previous presidents avoided.
“He has the courage to do what so many presidents in the past did not,” Leavitt said.
While critics worry about the possibility of a prolonged war, Trump has repeatedly insisted the military campaign will not turn into another long conflict like Iraq or Afghanistan.
During a recent phone interview with ABC News, the president brushed off concerns about what might happen next in the region.
“Forget about next,” Trump said. “They are decimated for a 10-year period before they could build it back.”
