President Trump’s Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, 28, appeared on Fox News with talk show host Jesse Watters, who criticized Leavitt’s generation, “Gen Z.”
Watters said, “Some of these kids, and I call them kids because they’re in their twenties, have never had real jobs and are complaining things are expensive. Things are expensive when you don’t have a real job. Do you think that’s getting traction? Complaining?”
Leavitt replied: “Unfortunately I do because this generation, my generation, I hate to say it, Gen Z and those younger than me have been raised with just silver spoons in their mouths and getting everything handed to them. That’s not the values this country was built on.”
Watters: Some of these kids have never had real jobs and are complaining things are expensive. Things are expensive when you don't have a real job. Do you think that's getting traction? Complaining?
— Acyn (@Acyn) July 3, 2026
Leavitt: Unfortunately I do because this generation, my generation, Gen Z and… pic.twitter.com/fF5DTJT6f8
Agreeing with Watters that “a little bit” of laziness is to blame, Leavitt suggested that those Gen Z’ers who “misbehave” might be compelled to join the army. Leavitt said, “Send them to Cuba. Send them to Iran.”
Millennial Jenna Ellis, 41, a lawyer who was a member of Donald Trump’s 2020 re-election campaign’s legal team and pleaded guilty over efforts to overturn Georgia’s election, criticized Leavitt’s comments.
Unfortunately this isn’t going to resonate with anyone except Fox’s aging and out-of-touch Boomer viewership.
— Jenna Ellis 🐊 (@realJennaEllis) July 5, 2026
Most young people are frustrated that they can’t afford what their parents and grandparents could and it’s not laziness, it’s a deck stacked against even the industrious… https://t.co/86RsqI4sKf
Ellis wrote: “Unfortunately this isn’t going to resonate with anyone except Fox’s aging and out-of-touch Boomer viewership. Most young people are frustrated that they can’t afford what their parents and grandparents could and it’s not laziness, it’s a deck stacked against even the industrious ones. If Republicans really care to do more than pot shot media, they better address inflation and affordability.”
Gen X angel investor and Elon Musk associate Jason Calacanis also criticized Leavitt’s take, suggesting that other factors are to blame, including the freezing of the national minimum wage for decades, and “unfairly low” real estate taxes for homes purchased decades ago.
1. Stop building homes — create an unnecessary boomer bump (bonus: keep real estate taxes for homes purchased decades ago unfairly low)
— @jason (@Jason) July 5, 2026
2. Brainwash kids that college degrees always pay off — raise the price by 5-10x over two generations
3. Freeze the minimum wage for decades… https://t.co/vSDJXUz35q
Democrats also criticized Leavitt, including Florida congressional candidate Jennifer Jenkins, who wrote: “Not all of us can marry 32 years our elder and use his wealth and status to land a job in the White House…”
[NOTE: Leavitt is married to real estate developer Nicholas Riccio, who is three decades her senior. When interviewed on The Megyn Kelly Show, Leavitt said of her husband: “He’s built a very successful business himself, so now he’s fully supportive of me building my success in my career.”]
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