Who is Shirish V. Dáte? Indian-origin White House reporter who makes Team Trump see red

Shirish V. Dáte, an Indian-origin journalist and veteran White House correspondent for HuffPost, has become one of Washington’s most recognisable media figures for his fearless questioning and sharp accountability journalism. Born in Pune, India, in 1964 and raised across the United States, Dáte’s career spans more than three decades across major outlets including the Associated Press, National Journal, NPR, and HuffPost. In October 2025, Dáte’s name exploded across social media after a surreal exchange with Donald Trump’s press team turned a question about diplomacy into viral theatre. When he asked who suggested Budapest as the venue for Trump’s planned meeting with Vladimir Putin, press secretary Karoline Leavitt replied via text, “Your mom did,” followed moments later by communicati