'Propaganda Barbie' Leavitt gives 'disgraceful' answer on Trump's vile language

Donald Trump announced a temporary ceasefire deal with Iran after threatening a military strike on the country.

During a White House press briefing on Wednesday, press secretary Karoline Leavitt defended Trump’s aggressive rhetoric, which had drawn widespread criticism. When asked about Trump’s warning that “civilization will die tonight” if Iran did not comply, Leavitt described it as a decisive action that forced Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

“It was a very strong threat from the president of the United States that led the Iranian regime to cave to their knees and reopen the Strait of Hormuz,” she said. “It was not an empty threat by any means. The Pentagon had a target list ready to go if the Iranian regime had not agreed, which they did.”

Trump had demanded that Iran agree to “the COMPLETE, IMMEDIATE, and SAFE OPENING of the Strait of Hormuz” in exchange for a temporary two-week suspension of attacks. In the lead-up to the deadline, Trump also posted a threatening message on Truth Social, including expletives and warnings about potential strikes on Iranian power plants and bridges.

Before the deadline expired, Trump announced that Iran had offered “a workable basis on which to negotiate,” signaling a pause in hostilities. The deal will last for two weeks and includes Iran reopening key shipping lanes, which has helped stabilize global oil and gas markets.

Q: What was your understanding of what the president meant when he said 'this civilization is going to be eliminated'?

LEAVITT: I think it was a very very strong threat from the president that led the Iranian regime to cave to their knees and ask for a ceasefire. It was not an… pic.twitter.com/LgwQRjiGQB

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) April 8, 2026

The president’s approach drew condemnation from multiple fronts. UN Secretary-General António Guterres called the threats “deeply troubling,” while Pope Leo XIV described them as “unacceptable.” Even former ally Marjorie Taylor Greene criticized the remarks, suggesting that Trump’s actions were grounds for invoking the 25th Amendment.

Shortly after the ceasefire announcement, countries including Bahrain, Israel, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE reported incoming missile threats from Iran, though strikes were temporarily paused.