Karoline Leavitt concluded her tenure today as the 36th White House Press Secretary, wrapping up a term in which she served as the youngest individual ever appointed to the position, according to an official statement released by the administration.
In remarks praising her time at the podium, President Donald J. Trump described Leavitt as “one of the best White House Press Secretaries in the History of the Office.”
Leavitt’s term in the James S. Brady Briefing Room was characterized by combative exchanges with the press corps and an uncompromising defense of the administration’s policies.
On several occasions, she pushed back against reporters directly, at one point telling a member of the briefing room, “You’re a left-wing hack. You’re not a reporter. You’re posing in this room as a journalist… You and the people in the media who have such biases but fake like you’re a journalist — you shouldn’t even be sitting in that seat.”
During other briefings, she answered questions bluntly, responding with “What a stupid question” and “You’re kidding, right?”
Her briefings frequently focused on immigration enforcement, crime statistics, and national security. Addressing illegal immigration, Leavitt stated, “All of them — because they illegally broke our nation’s laws and therefore, they are criminals.”
On urban safety, she argued that “if you look at the list of the top 20 high-crime cities in the United States, every single one, with the exception of one, is run by a Democrat,” adding, “This is our message to Americans in Democrat-run cities nationwide: decline is a choice.”
Leavitt also used the briefing room to challenge foreign leaders and international figures. In response to a French politician’s remarks regarding the Statue of Liberty, she said, “It’s only because of the United States of America that the French are not speaking German right now.”
Following critical remarks from the South African president, Leavitt noted, “I saw the South African President running his mouth a little bit against the United States and the President of the United States earlier today, and that language is not appreciated by the President or his team.”
When questioned about foreign policy regarding Tehran, she asserted that “the President absolutely has the moral high ground over the Iranian terrorist regime.”
Domestically, Leavitt defended government spending cuts and administrative personnel decisions, criticizing foreign aid allocations such as funding abroad while arguing domestic disaster relief in North Carolina and California had lagged under the previous administration. She also addressed personnel requirements, saying staff must align with the administration’s priorities.
Her tenure included unique personal and procedural milestones. She temporarily delayed a scheduled maternity leave following an assassination attempt against Donald Trump, telling reporters, “I thought that would be my last time taking your questions until after my maternity leave — but given the attempted assassination of the President… I felt it was prudent to be here today.”
Additionally, she opened briefing access to non-traditional media outlets, stating, “It’s essential to our team that we share President Trump’s message everywhere.”
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