White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt holds a briefing with reporters — 1/15/2026

Watch on YouTube ↗  |  January 15, 2026 at 18:52  |  32:58  |  CNBC
Speakers
Karoline Leavitt — White House Press Secretary

Summary

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt held a press briefing covering the administration's economic and healthcare agenda. She highlighted cooling inflation, five-year-low gas prices, a rebounding housing market supported by Fannie and Freddie mortgage bond purchases, and a new Great Healthcare Plan aimed at lowering drug and insurance costs. She also addressed foreign policy, domestic law enforcement, media questions, and the pending Fed chair selection.

  • Leavitt says core CPI cooled to 2.4% annualized and wages are rising.
  • Gas prices fell to five-year lows due to the administration's energy agenda.
  • Housing market is rebounding with mortgage rates down over one percentage point.
  • President Trump directed Fannie and Freddie to buy $200B in mortgage bonds.
  • New Great Healthcare Plan targets drug prices, insurance subsidies, PBM kickbacks, and price transparency.
  • Trump demands credit card companies cap rates at 10% effective next week.
  • Leavitt discusses Venezuela cooperation, Iran executions, Greenland acquisition, and Fed chair selection.
Ideas
Karoline Leavitt White House Press Secretary 2:37
Housing market rebounding on lower mortgage rates
The housing market is rebounding as borrowing costs ease and income growth outpaces home price gains. Existing home sales in December rose to their fastest pace in three years. President Trump directed Fannie and Freddie to purchase $200 billion in mortgage bonds, which has helped push 30-year mortgage rates down more than a full percentage point to multi-year lows, with monthly housing payments at their lowest level in two years. The administration expects this decrease to continue.
XLRE HIGH
Karoline Leavitt White House Press Secretary 3:00
GSE purchases support mortgage bond prices
President Trump directed Fannie and Freddie to purchase $200 billion worth of mortgage bonds. This GSE buying has already driven mortgage rates down more than one full percentage point and the administration expects the decrease in mortgage rates to continue, supporting mortgage bond prices.
Mortgage bonds HIGH
Karoline Leavitt White House Press Secretary 4:31
Drug pricing plan pressures pharmaceutical companies
The Great Healthcare Plan aims to permanently lower prescription drug prices by codifying most favored nation initiatives into law, making more safe drugs available over-the-counter, and using TrumpRX to give Americans access to lower drug costs. The administration has pressured big pharmaceutical companies to lower prices, creating a policy headwind for branded drugmakers.
XLV MED
Karoline Leavitt White House Press Secretary 4:57
Healthcare plan pressures health insurer revenues
The Great Healthcare Plan will stop sending big insurance companies billions in extra taxpayer-funded subsidy payments and instead send that money directly to eligible Americans. It also funds a cost-sharing reduction program for health plans and requires insurers accepting Medicare or Medicaid to publicly post pricing and rate/coverage comparisons. These policies reduce expected revenue and increase regulatory pressure on health insurers.
XLV HIGH
Karoline Leavitt White House Press Secretary 5:16
Plan ends PBM kickbacks, hurting business
The Great Healthcare Plan will end kickbacks from pharmacy benefit managers to large brokerage middlemen, which threatens the PBM business model and could reduce their revenue.
Pharmacy benefit managers MED
Karoline Leavitt White House Press Secretary 21:18
Rate cap demand pressures credit card companies
President Trump has called on credit card companies to lower and cap rates at 10% effective next week, framing it as an expectation and a demand. The administration may also work with Congress on a legislative fix. This creates regulatory and revenue pressure on credit card issuers.
Credit card companies MED
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This CNBC video, published January 15, 2026, features Karoline Leavitt discussing XLRE, Mortgage bonds, XLV, Pharmacy benefit managers, Credit card companies. 6 trade ideas extracted by AI with direction and confidence scoring.

Speakers: Karoline Leavitt  · Tickers: XLRE, Mortgage bonds, XLV, Pharmacy benefit managers, Credit card companies