The White House found itself embroiled in a contentious exchange on Friday following inquiries from journalists about President Donald Trump’s decision to host his upcoming meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Budapest.
HuffPost correspondent S.V. Dáte reached out to the administration seeking clarification on why the high-level summit was set to take place in Budapest, a city steeped in historical significance since the early days of Ukraine’s independence.
In response, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt replied with an unexpected remark that resembled a schoolyard jibe rather than a diplomatic comment: “Your mom did.”
Shortly after, White House Communications Director Steven Cheung chimed in with an even briefer retort: “Your mom.”
This exchange, verified by HuffPost and soon circulated widely on social media, drew immediate criticism for its perceived lack of professionalism, even among some conservative circles.
The inquiry itself was straightforward, questioning the rationale behind Trump’s choice of the Hungarian capital—significantly, the site of the 1994 Budapest Memorandum—for his meeting with Putin.
That agreement, in which Ukraine gave up its inherited nuclear arsenal in exchange for Russia’s promise to respect its borders, was shattered when Putin invaded Crimea in 2014 and then launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Trump announced on Thursday on Truth Social that he and Putin would meet soon ‘to see if we can bring this inglorious war between Russia and Ukraine to an end.’
The White House descended into a playground-style spat on Friday when press secretary Karoline Leavitt fired back with two words that sounded more like a schoolyard taunt
Leavitt was responding to a question from HuffPost as to why Trump had selected the Hungarian capital, the very site of the 1994 Budapest Memorandum, for a meeting with Putin
The president wrote that he had just concluded a ‘very productive’ phone conversation with Putin, who according to Trump, congratulated him on his ‘Great Accomplishment of Peace in the Middle East.’
‘President Putin congratulated me and the United States on the Great Accomplishment of Peace in the Middle East… I actually believe that the Success in the Middle East will help in our negotiation in attaining an end to the War with Russia/Ukraine,’ Trump said in his post.
He went on to reveal that both sides had agreed to send ‘high-level advisors’ with US meetings led by Secretary of State Marco Rubio ahead of the main summit, which would take place in Budapest ‘to be determined’ in the coming weeks.
The choice of Budapest immediately raised eyebrows across the diplomatic world, not just because of the city’s history but also because of Hungary’s authoritarian drift under Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, one of Putin’s closest allies in Europe and a vocal supporter of Trump’s return to power.
On Friday, Trump hosted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House.
During their meeting, Trump signaled that he was leaning against selling Kyiv long-range Tomahawk missiles, even as he called for an end to the war.
‘I have an obligation also to make sure that we’re completely stocked up as a country, because you never know what’s going to happen in war and peace,’ Trump told reporters.
‘We’d much rather have them not need Tomahawks. We’d much rather have the war be over, to be honest.’
White House communications director Steven Cheung, pictured left, also responded with an even shorter response
President Donald Trump, alongside White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt earlier this year
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told reporters after meeting Trump that it was time for a ceasefire and negotiations, but stopped short of embracing Trump’s call for an immediate end to the war
‘Enough blood has been shed, with property lines being defined by War and Guts,’ Trump said in a Truth Social post. ‘They should stop where they are. Let both claim Victory, let History decide!’
Zelensky told reporters after the meeting it was time for a ceasefire and negotiations, but appeared to stop short of embracing Trump’s call for an immediate end to the war.
‘The president is right we have to stop where we are, and then to speak,’ Zelensky said.
