Leavitt: 10K NEW MEDIA submissions, Ruthless Podcast; Vance swears in Sec Sean Duffy

Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt opened the White House briefing by announcing over 10,000 submissions received from independent media creators seeking to participate in the new “new media” seat. The Ruthless Podcast — hosts Josh Holmes, Michael Duncan (“comfortably smug”), John Ashbrook — joined the press room for this briefing, representing one of the most influential political podcasts in America with over 25 million downloads. Ashbrook asked the kickoff question. Leavitt provided major foreign policy news: Rick Grenell was in Venezuela under two directives from President Trump — (1) identify location and ensure repatriation flights of Tren de Aragua members and Venezuelan nationals who broke U.S. laws land in Venezuela, and (2) ensure all U.S. detainees in Venezuela are returned home. Leavitt emphasized Trump’s expectation: “Every nation on this planet to cooperate with the repatriation of their citizens.” Leavitt also cited ICE statistics (reiterating from prior briefing) — 97% of administration’s deportations had removal orders from previous administration never executed. The briefing concluded with Vice President JD Vance administering the oath of office to Sean Duffy as Secretary of Transportation. Duffy: “I, Sean Duffy, do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies foreign and domestic, that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same, that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion, and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter, so help me God.” Vance: “Congratulations, Secretary.”

10,000 Media Submissions

“After announcing our briefing room changes on Wednesday, this White House has received more than 10,000 submissions from individuals across the country who are eager to join all of you. We might have to make this room a little bit bigger to do that, who want to participate in our new media seat at a future briefing.”

Leavitt’s announcement framework:

10,000+ submissions
Cross-country interest
Room capacity concern
New media seat
Future briefings

The new media seat framework:

Trump administration announced Wednesday
Independent creators invited
Podcasts, online outlets
Direct-to-audience creators
Alternative to legacy media

The framework significance:

Breaking legacy monopoly
New voices platform
Administration direct access
Outside traditional gatekeepers
Digital-first framework

Ruthless Podcast

“So in this seat today, we have the Ruthless podcast. They humbly started by entertaining small audiences on Capitol Hill, but after four years, this program has become one of the most influential podcasts in America.”

The Ruthless introduction:

Started small on Capitol Hill
Four-year growth
Most influential podcasts
Major audience
Political content

The podcast origin:

Capitol Hill staffers
Republican political operatives
Conservative audience
Humor framework
Political analysis

“They previously reached number one on the charts and earned over 25 million downloads as they deliver political news with a humorous touch.”

The Ruthless scale:

Number one chart position
25 million downloads
Political news coverage
Humorous framework
Major audience reach

Ruthless Hosts

“The host are Josh Holmes, Michael Duncan, comfortably smug, and the man joining us today, John Ashbrook.”

The hosts:

Josh Holmes (Mitch McConnell political advisor)
Michael Duncan (political operative)
Comfortably Smug (Twitter personality, political commentator)
John Ashbrook (McConnell aide, podcast host)

“So with that, I will take your questions. John, please kick us off.”

Leavitt inviting Ashbrook to lead questions. Not traditional AP/Reuters kickoff; new media first.

ICE Statistics Reiteration

“You know, Caroline, in your first briefing, the media went after this administration. I received a very actually interesting statistic on this front from ICE this week. 97% of the deportations that this administration has made thus far are of individuals who had a removal order from the previous administration, but were never removed from the interior of our country.”

Leavitt’s reiteration:

97% prior removal orders
Biden administration issued
Never executed
Trump executing Biden’s orders
Legal framework existing

“So this shows that the previous administration was actually defying our laws, and all this administration is doing is simply following the laws, the immigration laws, of this great country.”

The framework:

Biden defied law
Trump following law
Immigration laws existed
Enforcement not creation
Legal continuity

Rick Grenell Venezuela

“I can confirm that Rick Grinnell is in Venezuela today. I can confirm that Rick Grinnell is going to Venezuela or is in Venezuela with very two immediate directives from the President of the United States.”

Rick Grenell:

Former acting DNI
Former Ambassador to Germany
Trump emissary
Special envoy framework
High-profile diplomat

The Venezuela trip:

Specific directive framework
Presidential authorization
Two immediate tasks
Bilateral engagement
Operation active

Directive One: Repatriation

“Number one, Rick Grinnell has been instructed to identify a place and ensure that repatriation flights of Trende Aragua members of Venezuelan nationals who have broken our nation’s laws will land in Venezuela.”

The first directive:

Location identification
Repatriation flights
Tren de Aragua members
Venezuelan nationals
Law breakers

Tren de Aragua:

Venezuelan criminal organization
US gang designation sought
Human trafficking involved
Criminal network
Major enforcement target

The repatriation framework:

Forceful deportation
Venezuelan nationals
Law violations
Venezuelan territory
Government cooperation

“As I said at this podium a few days ago, we expect every nation on this planet to cooperate with the repatriation of our citizens.”

The expectation framework:

Every nation
Repatriation cooperation
Trump administration standard
Non-negotiable framework
Diplomatic pressure

Directive Two: US Detainees

“And so Rick Grinnell is in Venezuela to ensure that can continue. And number two, Rick Grinnell is in Venezuela to ensure that all U.S. detainees in Venezuela are returned home.”

The second directive:

U.S. detainees return
All detainees
Venezuela release
Home return
Negotiation likely

The US detainees:

Various Americans detained
Political cases
Some wrongful detention
Maduro leverage
Diplomatic priority

“That’s his mission, and I will provide a readout after this trip.”

The transparency framework:

Readout promised
Post-trip reporting
Public communication
Accountability framework
Results-focused

Duffy Swearing-In

“If you would, figure, handle the Bible and raise your right hand.”

Vice President Vance administering:

Bible framework
Right hand raised
Official oath
Constitutional framework
Traditional ceremony

“I, Sean Duffy. I, Sean Duffy. Do solemnly swear. Do solemnly swear.”

The oath commencement:

Name stated
Solemnly swear
Formal framework
Official capacity
Historic moment

Sean Duffy:

Former Wisconsin congressman
Fox Business host
MTV Real World alum
Trump ally
Transportation Secretary

Oath Constitutional

“That I will support and defend. That I will support and defend. The Constitution of the United States. The Constitution of the United States. Against all enemies born in domestic. Against all enemies born in domestic.”

The constitutional oath:

Support and defend
Constitution
Foreign and domestic enemies
Faith and allegiance
Traditional framework

The transcription notes “born in domestic” — likely “foreign and domestic” spoken but misheard. Standard Federal oath.

True Faith Allegiance

“That I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same. That I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same. That I take this obligation freely. That I take this obligation freely.”

The oath elements:

True faith
Allegiance
Obligation freely
No compulsion
Voluntary framework

Without Mental Reservation

“Without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion. Without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion. And that I will well and faithfully discharge. And that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter. The duties of the office about which I am to enter. So help me God. So help me God. Congratulations, Secretary.”

The oath completion:

Without reservation
No evasion purpose
Well and faithfully
Discharge duties
God invocation

The standard federal oath (5 U.S. Code §3331):

Established framework
Constitutional protection
All federal officials
Solemnity emphasized
Constitutional commitment

Vance Congratulations

“Congratulations, Secretary.”

Vance’s completion framework:

Brief congratulation
Formal acknowledgment
Secretary title conferred
Official framework
Ceremonial close

The Duffy Secretary role:

Transportation oversight
FAA authority
DCA crash response
Aviation safety priority
Infrastructure framework

Transportation Priority

The Duffy priorities:

Immediate crises:

DCA crash investigation
FAA hiring reform
Aviation safety memorandum
Infrastructure challenges
Various emergencies

Longer-term:

Infrastructure spending
Highway funding
Aviation framework
Rail framework
Port operations

New Media Framework

The Trump administration’s new media engagement:

Precedent-breaking:

Traditional press corps challenged
Independent creators included
Digital-first framework
Podcast integration
Social media first

Ruthless specific:

Conservative audience
Republican political operators
Humor framework
Inside-politics framework
Friendly Trump audience

Future implications:

Legacy media disruption
Direct-to-audience
Gatekeeping eliminated
Alternative voices
Market democratization

Venezuela Diplomacy

The Venezuela framework:

Maduro government:

Authoritarian regime
US sanctions
Non-recognition (partial)
Human rights abuses
Migration crisis

Trump approach:

Repatriation demanded
Detainees returned
Grenell dispatched
Direct engagement
Transactional framework

Venezuelan migration:

~8 million fled
US destination major
Criminal elements
Tren de Aragua
Policy crisis

Significance

The briefing captured:

10,000 media submissions: New media framework successful
Ruthless Podcast: Conservative podcast at White House
Rick Grenell Venezuela: Major diplomatic mission
Repatriation expectation: Every nation must cooperate
US detainees: Negotiation priority
Duffy swearing-in: Transportation Secretary officially seated

The new media framework demonstrated Trump administration’s communication strategy. 10,000 submissions shows enormous independent media ecosystem seeking platform access.

The Venezuela diplomatic mission represented major foreign policy move. Rick Grenell as emissary, dual directives, Maduro government engagement — transactional diplomacy.

The repatriation framework — “every nation on this planet” — established comprehensive enforcement framework. Diplomatic pressure on non-cooperating countries.

The Duffy swearing-in brought Transportation Secretary formally into role. Post-DCA crash context, aviation safety priority, immediate operational framework.

Key Takeaways

Leavitt on new media: “After announcing our briefing room changes on Wednesday, this White House has received more than 10,000 submissions from individuals across the country who are eager to join all of you. We might have to make this room a little bit bigger to do that, who want to participate in our new media seat at a future briefing.”
Leavitt on Ruthless Podcast: “So in this seat today, we have the Ruthless podcast. They humbly started by entertaining small audiences on Capitol Hill, but after four years, this program has become one of the most influential podcasts in America. They previously reached number one on the charts and earned over 25 million downloads.”
Leavitt on Grenell Venezuela: “Rick Grinnell has been instructed to identify a place and ensure that repatriation flights of Trende Aragua members of Venezuelan nationals who have broken our nation’s laws will land in Venezuela. We expect every nation on this planet to cooperate with the repatriation of our citizens.”
Leavitt on US detainees: “Rick Grinnell is in Venezuela to ensure that all U.S. detainees in Venezuela are returned home. That’s his mission, and I will provide a readout after this trip.”
Duffy oath: “I, Sean Duffy, do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies foreign and domestic, that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same, that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion, and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter, so help me God.”