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By Gabe Whisnant
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White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt defended her decision to respond “Your mom did” to a reporter who asked why President Donald Trump chose Budapest as the site for an upcoming meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
What Question did Huffington Post Reporter S.V. Dáte Ask?
In a post Monday on X, Leavitt confirmed the exchange with HuffPost’s S.V. Dáte, who had noted in an emailed question to Leavitt and White House communications director Steven Cheung that Budapest was a controversial choice because Russia signed the 1994 Budapest Memorandum there, pledging not to attack Ukraine in exchange for its nuclear disarmament.
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“Is the president aware of the significance of Budapest?” Dáte texted. “Does he not see why Ukraine might object to that site?Who suggested Budapest?”
Did White House Press Secretary Respond to a Reporter With 'Your Mom'?
Leavitt replied to the Budapest question, “Your mom did,” later following up by calling Dáte “a far-left hack that nobody takes seriously.”
HuffPost also reported that Cheung responded, shortly after Leavitt, with a similar, "your mom" response.
Leavitt said Monday on X that Dáte’s repeated messages were partisan and accused him of pushing “Democrat talking points.” She added that “activists who masquerade as real reporters do a disservice to the profession,” reiterating her criticism of what she described as biased media coverage of the Trump administration.
Dáte wrote on X later, "She posted my query and her responses, presumably because she thought it made her case:"
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
Meanwhile, the Pentagon’s top spokesman reportedly continued the "your mom" barbs on Tuesday when asked about a tie recently worn by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, which resembled the Russian flag. Hegseth had worn the tie during Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s visit to the White House and received praise from Russian officials and media for it.
When asked whether Hegseth knew about the praise or had worn the tie before, Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell replied, “Your mom bought it for him — and it’s a patriotic American tie, moron.”
Updates: 10/20/25, 7:42 p.m. ET: This article was updated with new information and remarks.
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