Leavitt: U.S students record low reading comprehension unacceptable; Trump inflation 1.9% first term

Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt addressed multiple policy areas in a White House briefing, starting with the release of the Nation’s Report Card showing record-low reading comprehension scores, connecting it to National School Choice Week and Trump’s education executive actions. Leavitt reported 70% of eighth graders below proficient in reading, 40% of fourth graders not meeting basic levels — characterized as “completely unacceptable to the president.” Leavitt highlighted Trump’s executive order prohibiting federal funding of “the indoctrination of our children, including radical gender ideology and critical race theory in the classroom.” On tariffs and inflation concerns, Leavitt cited the first Trump term: “The average inflation rate during the first Trump administration was 1.9%. In fact when President Trump left office it was 1.4%.” On the reconciliation package, Leavitt emphasized: “No tax on tips and social security the president has made it very clear to our allies on Capitol Hill that is a critical piece of this reconciliation package … the president is intent on delivering on that promise.” On CIA confirmation of COVID lab origin, Leavitt thanked DNI Ratcliffe: “Many years too late the Biden administration had a chance to let the American people know the truth about that and for some reason they chose not to.” She recalled first-term press shop experience: Trump “suggested that COVID very well may have came from a lab in Wuhan China and many members in this very room mocked him for that said he was spewing conspiracy theories … we now know that to be the confirmable truth.” Leavitt also reported Senate confirmation progress — eight cabinet nominees confirmed including Duffy (Transportation), Zeldin (EPA), and Burgum (Interior).

Nation’s Report Card

“The nation’s report card was released this week and the news is not good. It showed that U.S. students had record low reading comprehension scores last year.”

The Nation’s Report Card (NAEP — National Assessment of Educational Progress):

• Federal assessment program
• Biennial administration
• Reading, math, science
• Representative sample
• Authoritative measurement

The record low framework:

• Historic benchmark
• Worst ever recorded
• Post-pandemic impact
• Educational crisis
• National concern

70% Below Proficient

“The national report card showed that 70 percent of eighth graders were below proficient in reading and 40 percent of fourth graders did not even meet the basic reading levels.”

The eighth grade crisis:

• 70% below proficient
• Approaching high school
• Foundation inadequate
• Workforce preparation compromised
• College readiness lacking

The fourth grade crisis:

• 40% below basic
• Elementary foundation failing
• Reading acquisition stunted
• Building blocks missing
• Career trajectory implications

The proficiency framework:

• “Proficient” = grade-level mastery
• “Basic” = partial mastery
• “Below basic” = inadequate performance
• Significant distinction
• Multiple thresholds

Unacceptable Framework

“This is completely unacceptable to the president and he continues to take aggressive actions to address this education problem in our country.”

Leavitt’s framework:

• President engaged personally
• Unacceptable framework
• Aggressive action
• Ongoing response
• Education priority

“It’s National School Choice Week and in part of the president’s commitment to education, he just left a round table in the Roosevelt room focused on this issue with leaders from across the country.”

The school choice framework:

• National School Choice Week
• Presidential engagement
• Roosevelt Room roundtable
• Cross-country leaders
• Policy coordination

Education Executive Order

“He signed an executive order this week prohibiting federal funding of the indoctrination of our children, including radical gender ideology and critical race theory in the classroom.”

The executive order framework:

• Federal funding prohibition
• Indoctrination targeted
• Radical gender ideology
• Critical race theory
• Classroom focus

The policy elements:

• K-12 framework
• Federal program restrictions
• Indoctrination definition
• Ideology elimination
• Education refocus

Patriotic Citizens Workforce

“The president believes American education should focus on cultivating patriotic citizens who are ready for the workforce and this action will help get schools back on track and defend fundamental parental rights and education.”

Trump’s education framework:

• Patriotic citizens cultivation
• Workforce readiness
• School alignment correct
• Parental rights defended
• Education purpose restored

The “get schools back on track”:

• Reading/math focus
• Academic excellence
• Workforce skills
• Civic education
• Basic competencies

Tariff Inflation Question

“Can you guarantee that those tariffs will increase prices for Americans including at the gas pump in the grocery store?”

The reporter’s question:

• Gas pump prices
• Grocery store prices
• Tariff cost pass-through
• Consumer impact
• Concern framework

“I think Americans who are concerned about increased prices should look at what President Trump did in his first term. He effectively implemented tariffs and the average inflation rate during the first Trump administration was 1.9 percent.”

Leavitt’s framework:

• First term tariffs implemented
• 1.9% average inflation
• Low inflation despite tariffs
• Historical evidence
• Empirical answer

“In fact when President Trump left office it was 1.4 percent.”

The specific metric:

• 1.4% at end of first term
• Low inflation maintained
• Exit condition
• Biden inherited framework
• Context reset

Inflation Context

Trump first-term inflation:

• 2017-2020 period
• Various tariffs implemented (China, steel, aluminum)
• Consumer prices stable
• Average 1.9% inflation
• Exit 1.4%

Biden inflation:

• 9.1% peak (June 2022)
• Multi-year elevated
• Housing, groceries
• Consumer pain
• Political consequence

Trump’s framework:

• Tariffs don’t necessarily cause inflation
• First-term evidence
• Monetary policy matters more
• Energy policy matters
• Policy mix matters

Inflation Cut Framework

“So President Trump is going to do everything he possibly can to cut the inflation crisis that the previous administration imposed on the American people and he will continue to effectively utilize tariffs.”

Leavitt’s framework:

• Inflation crisis acknowledged
• Biden-caused framework
• Everything possible framework
• Cutting commitment
• Tariffs continued

The Trump approach:

• Energy production increase
• Regulatory reduction
• Tax cuts extension
• Tariffs strategic
• Federal spending review

No Tax on Tips

“When it comes to no taxes on tips and social security the president has made it very clear to our allies on Capitol Hill that is a critical piece of this reconciliation package.”

The reconciliation package:

• Senate reconciliation vehicle
• Budget process
• Tax legislation
• Social Security protection
• Trump priorities

The campaign promises:

• No tax on tips (waitstaff, service)
• No tax on overtime
• No tax on Social Security
• No tax on tips in particular
• Service worker benefits

“He expects that his tax cuts from 2017 which put a lot more money back into the American people’s pockets those must be implemented and no tax on tips the president is intent on delivering on that promise.”

The framework:

• 2017 TCJA extension
• Original tax cuts expiring
• Extension required
• Money back in pockets
• Trump priority clear

COVID Lab Origin

“And he will do those to John Ratcliffe for revealing that truth and that fact to the American people. Many years too late the Biden administration had a chance to let the American people know the truth about that and for some reason they chose not to.”

DNI John Ratcliffe:

• CIA Director Trump appointee
• COVID-19 origin assessment
• Lab leak confirmation
• Intelligence release
• Truth revelation

The CIA assessment:

• Lab leak probable
• Wuhan Institute of Virology
• Low confidence initially, moderate now
• Intelligence community assessment
• Public release

“Biden had a chance to let American people know the truth” — Biden administration suppression framework:

• Intelligence classification
• Assessment delayed
• Public access restricted
• Political motivation
• Biden choice framework

Trump COVID Framework

“I also would just like to point out that several years ago when I was working in this press shop and President Trump would take to this podium to brief the American people on COVID-19 he suggested that COVID very well may have came from a lab in Wuhan China and many members in this very room mocked him for that said he was spewing conspiracy theories he was not we now know that to be the confirmable truth.”

Leavitt’s framework:

• First-term press shop experience
• Trump’s COVID briefings
• Lab leak theory proposed
• Media mockery received
• Confirmed truth now

The 2020 Trump claims:

• Wuhan lab origin probable
• Chinese cover-up alleged
• Scientist community skeptical
• Media critical framework
• Political ramifications

The vindication framework:

• Many years elapsed
• Evidence accumulated
• Lab leak most probable
• Trump vindicated
• Media criticized

“It took many years for it to come out but the president was right in this instance again.”

Trump right framework:

• Pattern of being right
• Multiple instances
• Media wrong pattern
• Validation delayed
• Political framework

Senate Confirmations

“The Senate has already confirmed eight of President Trump’s exceptional cabinet nominees including most recently transportation secretary Sean Duffy as you of course know EPA secretary Lee Zeldin and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum who is scheduled to be sworn in later today.”

The confirmed cabinet:

• Sean Duffy — Transportation
• Lee Zeldin — EPA
• Doug Burgum — Interior
• Plus five others
• Eight total confirmed

Additional early confirmations:

• Marco Rubio (State)
• Pete Hegseth (Defense)
• Kristi Noem (DHS)
• John Ratcliffe (CIA)
• Various others

“We expect the Senate to continue quickly confirming the remainder of President Trump’s well qualified nominees in the days ahead.”

The expectation framework:

• Continued pace
• Well-qualified nominees
• Days ahead timeline
• Remaining confirmations
• Administration completion

Education Crisis Context

The education crisis framework:

Pandemic learning loss:

• COVID-19 school closures
• Remote learning inadequate
• Student engagement collapsed
• Learning regression documented
• Recovery insufficient

Curriculum debate:

• DEI curriculum integration
• Traditional academic focus reduced
• Political content increased
• Parent concerns
• Policy battles

Funding debate:

• Federal funding significant
• Strings attached
• Curriculum influence
• Policy tool
• Congressional action

Tariff Economics

The tariff economic debate:

Traditional view:

• Tariffs increase prices
• Consumers pay
• Trade reduced
• Retaliation possible
• Welfare loss

Trump framework:

• Tariffs negotiating tool
• Domestic production encouraged
• Targeted application
• Revenue generation
• Strategic positioning

Empirical evidence:

• First-term tariffs limited inflation impact
• Various factors matter
• Specific products affected
• Overall framework stable
• Mixed results

Significance

The briefing captured:

1. Education crisis: 70% eighth graders below reading proficient
2. Trump education policy: Executive order, parental rights, patriotic education
3. Tariff inflation framework: First-term 1.9% average, 1.4% exit
4. Reconciliation priorities: No tax on tips, Social Security protection
5. COVID lab origin: Trump vindicated, Biden suppression criticized
6. Senate confirmations: Eight cabinet members confirmed

The education reporting provided substantive policy context. Record-low reading scores giving Trump’s education executive orders urgency framework.

The tariff-inflation framework referenced empirical evidence from first Trump term. Low inflation with tariffs historically — defusing the inflation concern narrative.

The COVID lab origin vindication offered political validation. Trump’s earlier claims, media mockery, Biden suppression, eventual truth — pattern benefiting Trump politically.

The Senate confirmation progress signaled administration completion. Eight cabinet nominees confirmed with pace continuing.

Key Takeaways

• Leavitt on reading crisis: “The national report card showed that 70 percent of eighth graders were below proficient in reading and 40 percent of fourth graders did not even meet the basic reading levels. This is completely unacceptable to the president and he continues to take aggressive actions to address this education problem in our country.”
• Leavitt on indoctrination executive order: “He signed an executive order this week prohibiting federal funding of the indoctrination of our children, including radical gender ideology and critical race theory in the classroom. The president believes American education should focus on cultivating patriotic citizens who are ready for the workforce.”
• Leavitt on inflation: “Americans who are concerned about increased prices should look at what President Trump did in his first term. He effectively implemented tariffs and the average inflation rate during the first Trump administration was 1.9 percent. In fact when President Trump left office it was 1.4 percent.”
• Leavitt on no tax on tips: “When it comes to no taxes on tips and social security the president has made it very clear to our allies on Capitol Hill that is a critical piece of this reconciliation package … the president is intent on delivering on that promise.”
• Leavitt on COVID lab origin: “Several years ago when I was working in this press shop and President Trump would take to this podium to brief the American people on COVID-19 he suggested that COVID very well may have came from a lab in Wuhan China and many members in this very room mocked him for that said he was spewing conspiracy theories he was not we now know that to be the confirmable truth.”