Sometimes more talking doesn’t produce more clarity. One afternoon, Trump told reporters that there were “no surprises” when Republican Sens. Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski decided to oppose Pete Hegseth to lead the Pentagon. The next morning, Trump said he was “very surprised” by their votes.

Press secretary Karoline Leavitt is set to make her debut behind the podium as the White House holds its first official news briefing Tuesday afternoon. Leavitt is certain to get questions related to the White House budget office’s decision to pause all grants and loans disbursed by the federal government to ensure its programs are consistent with President Donald Trump’s executive orders.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt made her briefing debut on Tuesday, where she sparred with reporters over a federal freeze on grants and made clear that President Donald Trump himself will be the administration's main messenger.