Karoline Leavitt Says Gen Z Is Lazy And Should Be 'Sent To Cuba Or Iran'

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt has taken aim at Gen Z, claiming young people have had 'everything handed to them' and saying some should be sent to 'Cuba or Iran'.

The 27-year-old returned to the White House on June 22 after maternity leave, a little under two months after giving birth to her second child, Viviana.

Soon after returning, the mom-of-two was back on television defending President Trump. During a Fox News appearance with Jesse Watters, she was asked about young people, rising costs, and whether complaints about the economy were gaining traction.

Watters began by framing the issue around young people who complain about prices while, in his view, lacking work experience.

Speaking to Leavitt on the show, he asked: "Some of these kids have never had real jobs and are complaining things are expensive."

"Things are expensive when you don't have a real job. Do you think that's getting traction? Complaining?"

The press secretary slammed Gen Z and issued a brutal warning to the 'lazy' generation. Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images

Why the Gen Z comment drew attention

The remark landed because Leavitt was talking about her own generation. Gen Z is usually used to describe people born from the late 1990s through the early 2010s, which puts the 27-year-old press secretary inside the group she was criticizing.

That detail became a major part of the reaction online. Critics pointed out that young adults are also dealing with high rent, student debt, tight job markets, and other cost of living pressures.

Leavitt later stood by the point in a social media post, saying her Fox News answer had been taken out of context and that she had been talking about young people being drawn to what she called the false promise of 'free stuff' from communist politicians, as UNILAD reported on July 6.

Leavitt did not push back on Watters' framing. Instead, she agreed with the idea that some young people have become too used to comfort.

Slamming Gen Z, Leavitt responded: "Unfortunately I do because this generation, my generation, Gen Z and those younger than me, have been raised with just silver spoons in their mouths."

"Just getting everything handed to them, that's not the values this country was built on." The press secretary added: "It was built on meritocracy and hard work, pulling up your sleeves, and achieving the American dream. We need to protect it with all we got."

Leavitt then blamed what she described as a poor work ethic on 'laziness' and 'liberal indoctrination'. She argued that young people needed a sharper reminder of how different life can be outside the United States.

"Send them to Cuba. Send them to Iran. They'll want to come back real quick," Leavitt concluded.

The backlash was not only about party politics. It also touched on how public figures talk about younger voters and people under economic pressure, a theme that has appeared in criticism of Michelle Obama's comments about working-class Trump voters.

The mom-of-two warned that Gen Z need to 'protect' the American dream. Fox News

The Gen Z comments came after Leavitt shared several photos from aboard President Trump's new Air Force One, which made its debut flight on July 1.

She captioned the post: "What a privilege to be aboard the inaugural flight on the brand new Air Force One! A truly unforgettable day."

But the photos drew attention for a detail behind her, rather than for the plane itself. As People noted, several books on the shelves appeared to have generic labels such as 'Library,' 'Jewelry,' and 'Arts'.

In one of the images, a TV screen on the new jet sits in front of a bookshelf. Several books appear to simply read 'library' on the spine, with no visible author, publisher, or normal title.

One user joked on X: "Of course a plane full of people who have never read a book has a bookshelf of fake books with titles like 'Library'."

As another added: "A perfect representation of the Trump administration...all show and no substance."