A single word from a White House representative is getting a lot of attention—and not in a good way.
On Tuesday, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt faced questions about President Donald Trump’s recent comments suggesting Republicans should nationalize voting.
A reporter attempted to clarify whether Trump believes elections should remain under state control.
Highlights
- White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt’s use of 'however' after affirming Trump’s belief in the Constitution sparked widespread online concern.
- Trump suggested Republicans should 'take over the voting' in at least 15 states, raising fears of authoritarianism and undermining state election control.
- Leavitt defended Trump’s push for nationwide voter ID laws, citing alleged election fraud and irregularities as justification.
- Critics argue that the Constitution allows no exceptions—phrases like 'however' signal a troubling willingness to override constitutional limits.
Karoline Leavitt used a specific word while talking about the Constitution, and it is getting a lot of attention
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Leavitt started with a familiar answer. “The president believes in the United States Constitution,” she said.
Then came the word that set off alarms online.
“However,” Leavitt continued, adding that Trump believes there have been “a lot of fraud and irregularities” in U.S. elections.
She continued, “Voter ID is a highly popular and common-sense policy that the president wants to pursue, and he wants to pass legislation to make that happen for all states across the country.”
But that “however” immediately caught the internet’s attention.
Trump’s first year during his second term saw two nationwide No Kings Protests over concerns about Trump’s alleged abuse of office.
The moment followed Trump’s appearance on a podcast hosted by former deputy FBI director Dan Bongino, where the president said Republicans should “take over the voting in at least 15 states.”
Those comments had already raised eyebrows before Leavitt stepped up to the podium.
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“That however doing some heavy lifting,” wrote journalist Molly Jong-Fast. “You don’t add a ‘however’ to something you actually believe in,” noted another.
A third commenter said, “‘However’ — the biggest tell in the authoritarian playbook. Everything before it is performative patriotism; everything after is the quiet part out loud: the Constitution is just an obstacle to be bulldozed when it blocks the dear leader's whims.
“This regime doesn't ‘believe’ in the document — they tolerate it only insofar as it can be twisted, ignored, or violated to consolidate power. The mask slips further every day,” they added.
Leavitt said that Trump believes in the Constitution, and added 'however'
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“There’s no however. Not how it works,” said journalist Brenden Schaeffer. “To believe in the constitution is an absolute.
There are no if’s or but’s,” another commenter added.
One netizen said, “There is no BUT or HOWEVER to that statement - the U.S. Constitution is immutable unless ammended [sic] through the arduous legal process.”
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“Donald Trump swore an oath to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States. There is no ‘however’ exception to that oath,” another social media user said firmly.
The Institute for Responsible Government notes that the president does not control voting methods. Constitutionally, this power lies between the states and Congress.
Trump previously issued executive orders that are not constitutionally accepted, including breaking down the East Wing of the White House.
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The administration has also repeatedly touted the idea of Trump running for a third term, despite the Constitution only allowing for two terms for a president.