• White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt publicly rebuked Fox News for reporting U.S. troops were headed to Israel
• Her correction stated 200 CENTCOM personnel would monitor the peace deal, working with international forces on the ground
• Social media users quickly pointed out her statement essentially confirmed Fox News’ original report with added details

WASHINGTON, D.C. (TDR) — White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt was ridiculed after she unsuccessfully attempted to fact-check Fox News over its reporting on the peace deal between Israel and Hamas. The awkward exchange came after Fox News posted on X that U.S. troops were “headed to Israel to support historic peace deal.”

A furious Leavitt quickly responded to the social media post, claiming that the news outlet’s reporting “is NOT true and taken out of context.” The 28-year-old press secretary fired back within 20 minutes of the Fox News post. “To be clear: up to 200 U.S. personnel, who are already stationed at CENTCOM, will be tasked with monitoring the peace agreement in Israel, and they will work with other international forces on the ground,” she added.

Critics spot the contradiction

The sharp rebuttal quickly stirred confusion in the comments section, with users struggling to identify a meaningful difference between Leavitt’s clarification and Fox News’ original report. “Then it is true and you just provided more details,” one user wrote. Another commented, “So in other words… U.S. troops are headed to Israel because of the peace deal.” Multiple social media users expressed similar bewilderment at Leavitt’s aggressive pushback.

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“You just said the same thing with more words,” said another X user. Critics suggested Leavitt may have been concerned about upsetting the MAGA base’s “America First” stance against foreign military entanglements. “I did not vote for the George Bush/Dick Cheney and neoconservative agenda,” one critic wrote, highlighting the political sensitivity around deploying U.S. personnel overseas.

Fox News adjusts coverage

Fox News appeared to partially address Leavitt’s objections 45 minutes after her public rebuke. The network’s X account posted a follow-up that included more specific details: “The U.S. plans to utilize up to 200 troops already in the middle east to help support and monitor the ceasefire deal in Gaza as part of a team involving various nations, a senior official told Fox News.”

The 200 troops will establish a civil-military coordination center in Israel to provide security and humanitarian support, according to The New York Times. The personnel are not intended to enter Gaza itself. CENTCOM, also known as United States Central Command, directs military operations in the Middle East, North Africa, Central Asia and parts of South Asia.

Peace deal context

The exchange came days after President Donald Trump announced Israel and Hamas had signed off on the first phase of his 20-point plan to end the war in Gaza. The deal involves releasing Israeli hostages in return for Palestinians jailed in Israel. A ceasefire in Gaza went into effect at noon local time on Friday after both parties approved the agreement.

The awkward fact-check attempt raised questions about why Leavitt felt compelled to forcefully push back against the Trump-friendly network over what amounted to a distinction without a difference.

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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu thanked Trump and his team for their commitment to freeing the hostages. Hamas also credited the president’s personal involvement in reaching the agreement. The war, which began on Oct. 7, 2023, has displaced around 90% of Gaza’s population and killed more than 66,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.

The incident highlighted the delicate messaging challenge facing the White House as it navigates MAGA supporters’ skepticism of foreign military involvement while simultaneously touting Trump’s role in brokering the historic peace deal. For Leavitt, the attempt to clarify Fox News’ reporting only succeeded in drawing more attention to U.S. troop deployment to the region.

Should press secretaries fact-check friendly media outlets on minor phrasing differences, or does it create unnecessary controversy?

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