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Popular running influencer Kate Mackz is facing heavy criticism for her latest guest, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt.
Mackz is known for conducting her interviews while running alongside her guests, which have included celebrities such as Jared Leto, Barbara Corcoran, Jason Derulo and Noah Beck while running.
Last year, her interview with the Democratic nominee for vice president, Tim Walz, went viral in the run-up to the election, earning more than 150,000 likes on Instagram.
On Wednesday, she released her interview with the Republican Leavitt, who said she wouldn’t be running any miles but would be giving Mackz a tour of the White House.
“No miles because we’re at the beautiful White House,” Leavitt said. “But why don’t I give you a tour?”
Throughout the tour, Mackz was shown Pebble Beach, the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room, and Leavitt’s office.
“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,” she captioned the video. “Truly surreal to walk through a place with so much history and meaning.”
Mackz’s comments on Instagram and TikTok were instantly flooded with condemnations as many followers had assumed Mackz’s video with Walz was her way of aligning with the Democratic Party.
“This administration is sending people to prisons without due process. making this video because you think its some quirky ‘both sides’ girlboss journalism is so uneducated. how embarrassing,” one person raged.
“I’m very disappointed. Giving this woman legitimacy by interviewing her is so wrong. And what’s even more disappointing is that your team or you have only responded to comments that are complimentary and you’ve not even engaged in thoughtful discussion with those questioning this choice,” added another.
“Excited for the run with Putin next,” joked a third.
A fourth added: “Repeating the sentiments of everyone else here that normalizing the lying, gaslighting and manipulating that Karoline Leavitt does as press secretary is a disservice to our country and to democracy itself. Why are you platforming white supremacists?”
Others claimed that Hope Walz commented asking Mackz to unpin her interview with her dad from the top of her page, but her comment is no longer visible.
The Independent has reached out to Mackz for comment.
On Thursday, Mackz shared some of the hateful DMs she’d received in response to the interview on her Instagram Stories; however, those Stories now appear to have been removed.
“I hope you get beat up for your newest video skank,” read one message she posted.
“That was just one of many kind messages this morning,” Mackz wrote over a second Story.
English (US) ·