White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt spars with reporter over whether tariffs are ‘taxes’

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt sparred with an Associated Press reporter on Tuesday, 11 March, over Donald Trump’s use of tariffs.

Ms Leavitt granted the outlet a rare question during the briefing after the White House blocked AP reporters and photographers from the presidential press pool and certain White House events, following the news agency's decision to use the Gulf of Mexico rather than the "Gulf of America" to refer to the oceanic basin.

"I now regret giving a question to the Associated Press," Ms Leavitt continued.