Karoline Leavitt Shreds NBC Reporter’s Lame DOGE Questions—Again! [WATCH]

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt clashed with NBC reporter Peter Alexander on Friday over reports of fraudulent and improper payments made by the Social Security Administration (SSA).

During a press gaggle, Leavitt questioned whether Alexander was defending the misuse of taxpayer funds, citing a government report revealing $71 billion in fraud.

President Donald Trump recently appointed Leland Dudek, head of the SSA’s anti-fraud office, as the acting administrator of the agency following the resignation of Michelle King.

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King’s departure reportedly stemmed from disagreements with the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)—the Trump administration’s newly established office dedicated to eliminating federal waste.

Leavitt highlighted the administration’s commitment to cutting government waste, pointing to the Inspector General’s report on $71 billion in improper payments by the SSA.

“It’s a clever question,” Leavitt told Alexander.

“First of all, I think all Americans would agree that funding mastectomies in Mozambique is not something that the American people should be funding—or DEI [Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion] programs—I think it’s fraudulent that the American government has been ripping off taxpayers in this way. And we also do know there has been extensive fraud, particularly if you look at Social Security.”

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Leavitt continued, citing the SSA’s Inspector General report, stating, “In fact, according to an IG report from the Social Security Administration, there was $71 billion worth of fraud in one single fiscal year that we know about. And so, that is a lot of fraud, Peter, that the government has admitted to. So this administration is committed to finding even more of that fraud, waste, and abuse.”

Alexander pushed back on Leavitt’s characterization of the report, arguing that the $71 billion in improper payments occurred between fiscal years 2015 and 2022, rather than a single fiscal year.

“To be clear, that $71 billion was from 2015 to 2022, so it wasn’t in just one year—” Alexander stated.

Leavitt, unfazed, repeated, “$71 billion.”

The Inspector General’s report, released in August 2024, confirmed that at least $71 billion in improper payments were made over seven years.

The Trump administration quickly moved to address the issue upon returning to office, establishing DOGE through a January 20 executive order aimed at fulfilling Trump’s campaign pledge to eliminate wasteful government spending.

According to the DOGE website, the agency has already identified $55 billion in potential savings since its formation.

As the exchange between Leavitt and Alexander continued, the NBC reporter pressed for further clarification on the administration’s claims.

Leavitt then asked, “So are you defending $71 billion in fraud, Peter? That’s a lot of money. Far too much. And that’s why this administration—why is the media so against cutting waste, fraud, and abuse from the government? I don’t get it.”

Alexander responded, “I just want to ask a question.”

Leavitt continued, “We won’t be deterred—we will not be deterred from people like you and the press who are clearly adamantly opposed to cutting waste, fraud, and abuse. But we know that American taxpayers at home, who have been struggling with an inflationary crisis, don’t want their tax dollars going towards crazy DEI programs in countries overseas.”

She concluded by emphasizing the administration’s priorities, saying, “They also don’t like the fact that there has been $71 billion worth of fraud in Social Security and improper payments going out the door. That’s a problem that needs to be fixed, and President Trump is going to fix it. That’s your fifth question.”

MUST WATCH: @PressSec smacks down Fake News loser @PeterAlexander as he tries to run cover for the WASTE, FRAUD, and ABUSE in the federal government.

“Why is the media so against cutting waste, fraud, and abuse? … We will not be deterred [by] people like you.” pic.twitter.com/3K8dpqCycC

— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) February 21, 2025

The Trump administration’s renewed focus on government efficiency has led to a broader review of federal spending, with DOGE targeting waste across multiple agencies.

As scrutiny over government waste continues, the Social Security fraud revelations add to mounting concerns over mismanagement of taxpayer funds, further fueling demands for stricter oversight and accountability.

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