Karoline Leavitt Calls Out WaPo By Name Over Headline About ‘Mysterious’ Decrease In Fentanyl At Border

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt called on The Washington Post to change its headline “accordingly” on Tuesday after it reported that fentanyl seizures at the U.S.-Mexico border had “mysteriously” dropped.

The Post published the headline, “The mysterious drop in fentanyl seizure on the U.S.-Mexico border,” where it reported that the number of fentanyl seizures have dropped by more than half in the past year. Leavitt criticized the Post for not crediting President Donald Trump’s hawkish border policies for the stark decrease in fentanyl seizures, stating that the outlet is “intentionally trying to manipulate the minds of Americans.”

“The Washington Post actually had this headline, ‘The mysterious drop in fentanyl seizures on the U.S.-Mexico border.’ How is this mysterious? There is no mystery about why there is a decrease in fentanyl coming into the United States. This administration’s strong border policies are the reason there has been a decrease in fentanyl trafficking,” Leavitt said. “His strengthened relationship with Mexican President Sheinbaum and all of the measures he has been taking to deter illegal human and drug trafficking at our United States southern border is the reason for plummeting fentanyl seizures at the southern border.”

“There is nothing mysterious about that and we’d like to see The Washington Post update their headline accordingly. This is clearly trying to manipulate the minds of Americans and I think the American people understand why there has been a fentanyl drop,” the press secretary continued.

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The Post reported that the average monthly seizures of fentanyl dropped from 1,700 pounds in 2024 to 746 in 2025. The outlet then attempted to push back against the White House’s statement crediting Trump’s policies, stating that the number of seizures had already began dropping before he was back in the Oval Office.