Karoline Leavitt said Trump was ‘simply joking’ when he said America didn’t need elections – 15 essential responses that took it very seriously indeed

Donald Trump says what he feels and he feels truly awful, illegal, and immoral things.

Case in point: Trump’s thoughts on elections. We shouldn’t have ’em!

The President made this statement on the record this week. Here is the exact quote.

Trump to Reuters about the midterm elections: “When you think of it, we shouldn’t even have an election.” https://t.co/wvxrwPBp3K pic.twitter.com/rDef96phVd

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) January 15, 2026

Taken at face value, this is an un-patriotic, un-Constitutional, and impeachable sentence.

But if you look at it just a little differently, it’s actually hilarious. Here’s how the White House officially responded to Trump’s statement.

Q: Trump has talked twice in recent days about canceling the election. Why is he talking about this?

Leavitt: “The president was simply joking.”
pic.twitter.com/N3TnJeYvx1

— Republicans against Trump (@RpsAgainstTrump) January 15, 2026

JK. LOLZ. ROFL. Feel better now?

And therein lies the problem. No one summed it up better than @DarrigoMelanie:

So, when Trump says something indefensible, he’s joking; and when he does the thing that’s indefensible, it’s fake news; and if you’re suffering the result of that indefensible thing, you’re labeled a “domestic terrorist” by his DOJ.

That’s pretty much the cycle. https://t.co/xc0klKiCw8

— Melanie D’Arrigo (@DarrigoMelanie) January 15, 2026

There were plenty more takes from the Twitter bleachers.

1.

Who could have possibly seen this coming https://t.co/qD6JdH0G6w

— j aubrey 🤠 (@jaubreyYT) January 15, 2026

2.

This is Dictator talk https://t.co/MAPp4wX3qm

— Chad Hartman (@ChadHartmanShow) January 15, 2026

3.

2016: “you’re overreacting”
2017: “you’re overreacting”
2018: “you’re overreacting”
2019: “you’re overreacting”
2020: “you’re overreacting”
2021: “you’re overreacting”
2022: “you’re overreacting”
2023: “you’re overreacting”
2024: “you’re overreacting”
2025: “you’re overreacting”… https://t.co/e8QqKkN97m

— davey (@jerseyh0mo) January 15, 2026

4.

No he’s not https://t.co/JVfsWpm2C6

— Wajahat Ali (@WajahatAli) January 15, 2026

5.

Always the way. It’s only a joke if he can’t get away with it. Threaten outrageous, unconstitutional, even traitorous acts, then if the blowback is too harsh, say you were joking and try again later. Greenland, Trump 2028, cancelling 2026 elections, Insurrection Act, etc. https://t.co/tIw6kLVJj9

— Garry Kasparov (@Kasparov63) January 15, 2026

6.

Q: Americans for generations have fought and died for democracy. Are you saying the president finds the idea of canceling elections funny?

LEAVITT: Where you in the room? Only someone like you would take that so seriously pic.twitter.com/QDpndgSsTN

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) January 15, 2026