A short transcript excerpt of press secretary Karoline Leavitt criticizing a Washington Post headline that described a "mysterious drop" in fentanyl seizures at the U.S.–Mexico border. Leavitt attributes the decline to the administration's strengthened border policies and diplomatic engagement with Mexican President Sheinbaum, says the Post refused to run the administration's explanations, and calls the headline manipulative.
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The Washington Post just ran one of the most ridiculous headlines ever, even by their standards. And on my very first briefing several months ago, I said I would hold anyone accountable in this room. The Washington Post actually had this headline, the mysterious drop in Fentanyl seizures on the US Mexico border. How is this mysterious? There is no mystery about why there is a decrease in fentanyl coming into the United States. This administration's strong border policies are the reason there has been a decrease in fentanyl trafficking. His strengthened relationship with Mexican President Sheinbaum and all of the measures he has been taking to deter illegal human and drug trafficking at our United States southern border is the reason for plummeting fentanyl seizures at the US Border. There is nothing mysterious about that, and we'd like to see the Washington Post update their headline accordingly. This is clearly trying to intentionally manipulate the minds of Americans, and I think the American people understand why there's been a fentanyl drop in. Our office responded to this inquiry. We provided a whole host of the reasons that fentanyl seizures at the southern border have dropped, and the Washington Post refused to run them, and that's despicable.