A nurse in Florida has been dismissed from her job after posting a vulgar TikTok video wishing physical harm on White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, who is expecting her second child. Lexie Lawler, formerly employed at Baptist Health Boca Raton Regional Hospital, used expletive-laden language to express hope that Leavitt would suffer a severe childbirth injury.
In the since-deleted video, Lawler said: 'As a labor and delivery nurse, it gives me great joy to wish Karoline Leavitt a fourth-degree tear. I hope that you f***ing rip from bow to stern and never sh** normally again, you c***.' The hospital confirmed on 23 January that Lawler had been terminated following a prompt review, stating that her comments did not reflect their values or the standards expected of healthcare professionals.
Boca Raton Mayor Scott Singer condemned the 'disgusting comments' on Facebook, saying they had no place in medicine or the community. Lawler later appeared unrepentant in further social media posts, criticising those who condemned her while referencing the death of a fellow nurse in Minneapolis. A GoFundMe page set up by her husband had raised nearly $7,000 towards a $14,000 goal for legal counsel, describing her as a 'liberal woman' who criticised a public figure on her own time.
The Florida Board of Nursing has not yet taken formal disciplinary action, despite calls from Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier to revoke her licence. The White House did not respond to requests for comment.
