There is no evidence that Karoline Leavitt actually published such a post.
A screenshot purporting to be from an Instagram story by Karoline Leavitt, Donald Trump’s press secretary, has been circulating online. The post allegedly shared a news headline that read “Scholz Rejects ‘Dictated Peace’ For Ukraine, After Trump-Putin Call” and included a direct tag to Olaf Scholz with the comment: “choose your words carefully. The only place Germany deserves in these negotiations is in the dock.” Given the strong language directed at the German Chancellor, the claim quickly spread not only in Russian, but also in German. One German-language post on X alone gained almost 2,000 shares.
However, this is yet another Russian propaganda hoax designed to escalate tensions in international relations. In reality, Karoline Leavitt never posted anything of the kind. This screenshot first appeared in pro-Russian sources and does not appear in any reputable foreign media. This alone casts doubt on its credibility – such a direct insult to the German Chancellor from the White House Press Secretary would have caused a diplomatic scandal and been widely reported in major news outlets.
Karoline Leavitt is the White House Press Secretary in Donald Trump’s administration and the youngest person in US history to hold the position. She previously served as deputy press secretary in Trump’s previous administration and as a spokesperson for his 2024 presidential campaign.
Recently, Russian propaganda has increasingly used edited ‘screenshots’ of politicians’ or public figures’ Instagram stories to push false narratives. As Instagram Stories disappear after 24 hours, such claims are difficult to verify. We have previously debunked similar fakes in articles such as Fake: Florida Governor Mocks Ukrainian Oligarch Who Donated to LA Fire Victims and Fake: Zelensky Asked for an Invitation to Trump’s Inauguration Three Times, but Was Denied — Donald Trump Jr.
