Did Karoline Leavitt Lose Her ‘Pinocchio Cross’ Because of a Jon Stewart Joke?
Jon Stewart spent this past Monday’s episode of The Daily Show unpacking Elon Musk’s departure from the White House (in order to “make more family with his time”), while also touching on FBI deputy director Dan Bongino learning what a job is for the first time. Plus, he discussed Trump’s Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, who the host suggested may be the only one to leave her current job “unscathed” because she probably doesn’t have “any principles in there left to die.”
As we’ve mentioned before, after airing a highlight reel of Leavitt spreading misinformation while wearing a prominent golden crucifix necklace, Stewart mused, “I think the more she lies, the bigger her cross gets. Is that possible? It’s like some sort of weird Pinocchio cross.”
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He also argued that he’s "not even upset with this lady. Because just rolling with the punches is clearly the only strategy for happiness when you’re working for Trump.”
Recently, websites such as The Independent and The Mirror have pointed out that, in Leavitt’s first White House briefing since the segment aired, she appeared wearing a “long-sleeved navy blue blazer with gold buttons, a matching blue skirt and pointed black heels” — but no crucifix necklace.
Putting aside the fact that it’s deeply weird how news outlets are writing about Trump’s press secretary as if she were arriving at the Golden Globes’ red carpet, is it possible that Leavitt scrapped the cross purely due to Stewart’s “brutal” jokes?
It’s hard to imagine that many people working in the Trump istration are loyal Daily Show viewers. And Stewart isn’t the only public figure who has called attention to Leavitt’s necklace. Back in February, Rep. Dave Min mocked Leavitt for briefing reporters on Trump’s funding freeze “while wearing a giant cross to let everyone know how pious and moral she is, even as she is so comfortable stating a bald-faced lie to hundreds of millions of people.”
Also, it should be noted that Leavitt has shown up for press briefings sans cross in the past, even on days when she wasn’t mentioned on Comedy Central the night before.
Regardless of whether or not The Daily Show was actually responsible for Leavitt’s fashion choice on Tuesday, the suggestion that it did has seemingly brought even more attention to Stewart’s joke. And probably Pinocchio as well.
