BY: LBS STAFF
Published 1 day ago
Kate Mackz, widely recognized for her running videos featuring interviews with celebrities and notable figures, faced criticism this week after repeatedly posting and removing the White House tour video.
A TikTok influencer is catching major heat after she toured the White House with Donald Trump’s national press secretary, Karoline Leavitt.
Cretor Kate?Mackz, whose best known for her running videos in which she interviews celebs and fellow influencers while on the move — including Patrick Schwarzenegger and Democratic Minnesota Governor Tim Walz — came under fire this week after posting and deleting her White House tour video several times.
The now-viral TikTok shot inside the White House included a cheerful walk-and-talk with Leavitt, as well as behind-the-scenes glimpses of the building. Leavitt showed off her office, which featured photos of her young son and shots alongside the president, as well as the Tesla she says Elon Musk gifted to the president.
One of the more surprising moments in the video, however, was the appearance of Harry Potter actor Jason Isaacs, who also appears briefly in the clip.
@katemackz From being at the White House last year speaking on a mental health panel and meeting President Biden, to being back again this year — thank you for having us. Truly surreal to walk through a place with so much history and meaning. ?
While it’s not clear what Isaacs was doing at the White House, perhaps on one of the many daily tours they offer, he does give a maybe when asked if he’d appear on Mackz’s running show.
While the moment drew laughs from some, others say it only highlighted how uncomfortable the vibe of the video truly was.
Viewers took to the comments to voice their disappointment, with one user writing, “This is so disappointing.”
“Yeah, so this administration is attempting to defund public media. Giving their mouthpiece more of a platform is NOT IT,” another wrote.
Even Walz’s daughter, Hope, made a TikTok addressing Mackz, in which she said running is in fact political.
“It’s damaging society as a whole. We should not be normalizing these people,” Hope said when discussing Walz’s political stance versus that of the Trump White House. “I’m not gonna tell people what to do with their page, but I think it’s insulting to my dad to leave a certain video pinned, especially when he stands for quite literally the opposite of what this administration is doing. You don’t get to both sides this. It’s not both sides.”
“We are quite literally talking about good versus evil here,” she added, reiterating her disappointed in Mackz after initially being impressed by her when she first interviewed her father some months back.
@hopewalz running is political!!! #fyp #running ? original sound – hopewalz
Others questioned the influencer’s intentions, accusing her of normalizing MAGA figures while slamming Leavitt for saying she wants to “allow more voices” in the press room while simultaneously silencing reporters who oppose Trump.
The video marks a stark contrast from the influencer’s earlier content, where she openly aligned with Democratic officials and causes. Her apparent shift left followers confused, with many asking why she would showcase someone like Leavitt, who has been a vocal critic former president Joe Biden and a champion of Trump-era policies.
“this wasn’t a misjudgment. This was calculated,” one user wrote.
Neither the influencer nor Leavitt have yet to respond to the backlash. Isaacs, who’s long been outspoken about his opposition to Trump, also hasn’t addressed his cameo in the video.
