Washington, D.C., USA: White House correspondent Shirish Date, who reports for the progressive outlet HuffPost, has reportedly been subjected to personal ridicule from senior members of Donald Trump’s administration after he posed standard press questions. The information comes from a detailed New York Times investigation published on October 30, 2025.
According to the Times, while many journalists face criticism for not asking enough questions, Date faces backlash for asking them. The paper noted that he “gets attacked for simply reaching out for comment.”
The latest controversy began when Date inquired why President Trump had selected Budapest as a possible venue for a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. In reply, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt sent him a message saying, “Your mom did.” She later shared the message publicly on X (formerly Twitter). Soon after, Communications Director Steven Cheung repeated the same insult online — a remark the Times described as a “playground-style ‘your mom’ joke.”
“This is a war that has killed tens of thousands of Ukrainians,” Date, 61, told the Times. “And the official response to that question is, ‘Your mom’?”
The report described a recurring pattern of hostility toward Date, who has been part of the White House press corps since 2016. Following the Budapest incident, Leavitt again texted Date, labeling him a “far-left hack nobody takes seriously.” In a separate instance, while Date was reporting on Trump adviser Stephen Miller, Cheung allegedly sent vulgar messages mocking Date’s appearance and masculinity.
Despite decades of experience covering politics, Date said such behavior was unprecedented. “Staff for Jeb Bush could be combative sometimes,” he recalled, “but never to this level.” The White House did not respond to The New York Times’ requests for comment.
Born in Pune, India, and raised in the U.S. by doctor parents, S.V. Date began his journalism career at The Times Herald-Record in Middletown, New York, before moving to Florida, where he covered politics for The Orlando Sentinel, The Associated Press, and The Palm Beach Post. He later relocated to Washington after a two-year family sailing trip across the Atlantic — financed in part by novels he wrote.
Date joined HuffPost in 2016 after working at National Journal. He told the Times that his focus on Trump is not ideological but driven by the “extraordinary changes in how this presidency functions.”
Whitney Snyder, HuffPost’s editor-in-chief, called the White House’s remarks “absurd” but said the outlet wasn’t bothered. “If anything, it shows Shirish got under their skin,” Snyder added. The publication even used the “Your mom” incident in a fundraising drive titled: “MAGA Makes ‘Your Mom’ Jokes. We Make Headlines.” The campaign, according to the Times, led to a 66% increase in reader contributions.
“I’d like to think our readers are more informed about why they disagree with Donald Trump,” Date said. “If my work helps explain that, then I’ve done my job.
