### Tadej Pogačar Vows to Sue Trump Aide Karoline Leavitt Over Explosive Doping Accusations, Sparking International Firestorm
In a stunning escalation that has bridged the worlds of professional cycling and American politics, Slovenian superstar Tadej Pogačar announced on Thursday his intent to file a defamation lawsuit against Karoline Leavitt, the 28-year-old White House press secretary and staunch ally of President Donald Trump.
The 27-year-old Tour de France champion, speaking from his training base in Monaco, accused Leavitt of spreading “baseless and malicious” claims that he had engaged in systematic doping while funneling bribes to U.S. congressmen to influence anti-doping legislation.
“She is a politician of a country but hiding behind the media,” Pogačar declared in a viral video statement that has garnered over 5 million views in under 24 hours. “I will take her to court. This ends now.”
The controversy erupted just days after Leavitt’s appearance on a conservative podcast, where she alleged—without evidence—that Pogačar, the three-time Tour winner and reigning Olympic road race gold medalist, had “paid off key Republicans in Congress” to soften regulations on performance-enhancing drugs in international sports.
Leavitt, who rose to prominence as Trump’s communications director during his 2024 reelection campaign, framed the accusations as part of a broader narrative on “global elites corrupting American values through rigged competitions.” Her comments, laced with references to cycling’s dark history of scandals like Lance Armstrong’s, quickly spread across right-wing media outlets, including Fox News and Breitbart, amplifying them to a U.S.
audience largely unfamiliar with the intricacies of the sport.
Pogačar, whose meteoric rise has seen him claim 12 Grand Tour victories by age 27, wasted no time in responding. In his three-minute address, streamed live on his official X account, the UAE Team Emirates rider detailed the personal toll of the smears.
“I’ve given everything to this sport—blood, sweat, and endless hours in the mountains,” he said, his voice steady but edged with fury. “To be called a cheater, a briber, by someone who knows nothing of the pain we endure? It’s libel, plain and simple. I’m suing in U.S.
Federal Court, and if I win, she faces up to a year in prison for defamation and $50 million in damages for the harm to my reputation and endorsements.”
Legal experts familiar with cross-border defamation cases expressed cautious optimism for Pogačar’s prospects. Under U.S.
law, particularly in the Southern District of New York where the suit is expected to be filed, public figures like Pogačar must prove “actual malice”—that Leavitt knowingly lied or acted with reckless disregard for the truth.
“The bar is high, but her lack of sources and inflammatory tone could sink her,” said Harvard Law professor Alan Dershowitz in an email to reporters. “This isn’t protected speech; it’s a targeted attack on a foreign athlete with no U.S.
ties beyond sponsorships.” Pogačar’s team, led by high-profile litigator David Boies—who previously represented Al Gore in the 2000 election recount—has already subpoenaed Leavitt’s communications, including podcast scripts and internal White House emails.
The stakes extend beyond the courtroom. Pogačar’s announcement also implicated unnamed “congressmen” in the alleged bribery scheme, a charge that has prompted swift backlash from Capitol Hill. House Ethics Committee chairwoman Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) demanded an immediate investigation, stating, “If there’s even a whiff of truth, heads will roll.
But if this is a stunt, Pogačar better lawyer up twice.” Sources close to the cyclist hint at “explosive evidence,” including encrypted emails and financial records purportedly linking U.S. lawmakers to UAE-based shell companies.
Should Pogačar substantiate these claims, implicated politicians could face federal corruption probes under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, with penalties including fines up to $250,000 and prison terms of up to 20 years.
The feud traces back to a seemingly innocuous exchange at the 2025 UCI Road World Championships in Rwanda, where Pogačar clinched his second rainbow jersey in a solo breakaway that stunned the peloton.
During a post-race panel on American sports network ESPN, Leavitt—guesting as a political analyst—interrupted Pogačar’s victory interview to question his “inhuman recovery times.” “In America, we’d call this what it is: doping on steroids,” she quipped, drawing laughs from the studio audience.
Pogačar, ever the diplomat, initially brushed it off with a smile, but the clip went viral, morphing into full-throated conspiracy theories on platforms like Truth Social.
By November 2025, as Trump settled into his second term, Leavitt had elevated the rhetoric. In a series of X posts, she tied Pogačar’s success to “foreign influence peddling,” suggesting his team’s Emirati backing was a front for evading U.S. sanctions on performance enhancers.
Cycling insiders dismissed the claims as xenophobic nonsense, pointing to Pogačar’s impeccable record: over 80 UCI victories, zero positive tests in more than 500 controls, and endorsements from brands like Red Bull and Pinarello worth an estimated $15 million annually.
“Tadej is the cleanest rider I’ve ever coached,” said UAE Team Emirates director Mauro Gianetti, a former pro whose own career was overshadowed by 1990s doping whispers. “This is politics masquerading as journalism.”
The cycling world, still scarred by EPO-fueled eras, has watched the drama unfold with a mix of schadenfreude and concern. On Reddit’s r/peloton, threads exploded with memes juxtaposing Pogačar’s Col de la Loze conquests against Leavitt’s podium gaffes.
“From ‘Sit down, Barbie’ to federal court—Trump’s team just got Pog-tour’d,” one user quipped, referencing Pogačar’s infamous 2024 Worlds retort to a heckler. Veterans like retired sprinter Marcel Kittel voiced support: “Accusations without proof are poison.
Tadej deserves better.” Yet, a vocal minority echoed doping skeptics, citing Danish expert Asker Jeukendrup’s recent analysis of Pogačar’s power outputs as “10% beyond physiological norms.”
Just three minutes after Pogačar’s video dropped—prompting a 15% spike in his X followers—Leavitt’s office issued a cryptic statement: “The White House stands by its commitment to fair play in all arenas.” Behind the scenes, however, a frantic call unfolded.
According to sources briefed on the exchange, Leavitt personally dialed Pogačar’s legal team at Boies Schiller Flexner, catching lead attorney Rebecca Roiphe off-guard. What followed was a 45-minute negotiation that left even seasoned observers speechless.
Leavitt, sources say, proposed an immediate on-air apology during a joint Fox News segment, coupled with a $10 million donation to the UCI’s anti-doping fund—contingent on Pogačar dropping the suit and endorsing Trump’s “America First Sports Act,” a bill aimed at barring foreign athletes from U.S.-funded events.
Roiphe, recounting the call anonymously, called it “surreal—a mix of olive branch and arm-twist.” Pogačar, briefed minutes later, reportedly paused for a full 30 seconds before responding: “Tell her I’ll race her to the finish line in court.
No deals with bullies.” The cyclist’s camp confirmed the overture but declined further details, fueling speculation of deeper White House involvement. Trump himself waded in via Truth Social, posting a photo of Pogačar mid-climb with the caption: “Fake Yellow Jersey—SAD! We’ll MAKE CYCLING GREAT AGAIN.”
As the December 1 filing deadline looms, the saga has transcended sports, igniting debates on free speech, international relations, and the weaponization of media.
In Slovenia, where Pogačar is a national treasure—his face adorns billboards from Ljubljana to Lake Bled—Prime Minister Robert Golob offered full governmental support, tweeting, “Tadej fights for truth, as we all must.” Across the Atlantic, progressive outlets like The Nation decried Leavitt’s tactics as “McCarthyism on two wheels,” while conservative firebrands rallied to her defense, portraying Pogačar as a “globalist shill.”
For Pogačar, the man who conquered the Giro-Tour double thrice before turning 26, this trial by fire tests more than his legal savvy—it’s a sprint for his legacy. Win or lose, the lawsuit has etched his name into a bizarre chapter of transatlantic tension, where pedal strokes meet power plays.
As he prepares for the 2026 season, one thing is clear: the road ahead is steeper than ever, and Tadej Pogačar is pedaling harder than anyone dares imagine.
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