Back from leave, Leavitt touts economy, Trump accounts and border

By Morgan Sweeney
The Center Square

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt’s opening remarks to reporters at her first press briefing back from maternity leave focused on the economy, Trump accounts and border security.

Leavitt noted this week’s Consumer Price Index report, which showed that inflation had dropped 0.4% in June from the previous month, and falling prices on some core consumer goods like gas and electricity.

The decrease in inflation marked “the largest monthly decline in more than six years,” she added.

Leavitt did not mention that the decline in inflation followed several months of rising costs. In March, as the U.S. carried out Operation Epic Fury in the Middle East, inflation climbed 0.9% from the previous month, followed by increases of 0.6% in April and 0.5% in May.

“The general trend in prices has been rising over the past year due to tariffs and the conflict in the Middle East. CPI inflation fell last month but that was because of lower energy prices stemming from the ceasefire,” said Gbenga Ajilore, chief economist at Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, in an email to The Center Square.

He warned that the U.S. will likely continue to wrestle with inflation until the conflict in Iran ends.

Leavitt also highlighted an increase in real weekly earnings last month.

“For private sector workers, real wages have increased by roughly $1,000 since President Trump took office, after falling nearly $3,000 during the previous administration,” Leavitt said.

Senior Director of Research at the American Institute for Economic Research Peter Earle said that an uptick in real wages is “unquestionably positive,” but economists will be looking to see whether it is short-lived or will develop into an upward trend.

“It means paychecks are growing faster than prices. That’s ultimately what matters to households,” Earle told The Center Square. “The key question is whether those gains prove broad-based and sustained rather than being concentrated in a few sectors or reflecting temporary movements in inflation.”

Earle also said more progress is needed before many Americans see meaningful relief from affordability pressures.

“Even if inflation slows or prices decline modestly in some categories, affordability remains the larger economic challenge facing many households,” Earle added.

“There is still more work to do, no doubt which is why President Trump remains laser focused on lowering costs and raising wages for working families across the country,” Leavitt said.

Leavitt promoted Trump accounts at the briefing and encouraged American parents to open accounts for their children, reminding them that accounts can be opened for any child under the age of 18 and children born between 2025 and 2029 will receive a $1,000 seed contribution from the federal government.

She also underscored that relatives, friends, employers and others can contribute to the accounts – not just parents.

She concluded her opening remarks to journalists with some statements on border security.

“For the fourteenth straight month, this administration has released zero illegal criminal aliens into the United States,” she said.

The economy and immigration were winning issues for Trump in 2024. Several recent polls have indicated that over 60% of Americans disapprove of Trump’s handling of the economy.