Karoline Leavitt Lands Fox News Gig Ahead of Midterms
Karoline Leavitt is trading the White House briefing room for a Fox News studio. The network announced Monday that the former White House press secretary will join as an on-air contributor starting November 1 — just in time for the midterm elections.
From Podium to Primetime
Leavitt, 29, will appear across Fox’s news and opinion programming. She stepped down from the press secretary role in August after taking maternity leave following the birth of her second child in May, saying she wanted more time with her young children. On her way out, she promised to “remain a vocal advocate for MAGA and the Republican Party.” The Fox gig is how she plans to keep that promise — from outside Washington, having moved back home to New Hampshire.
She said she’ll bring viewers “the unique perspective and candor that defined my tenure with the Trump administration.” Fox News Media CEO Suzanne Scott praised the hire, saying Leavitt’s firsthand White House and campaign-trail experience gives her “a distinct understanding of today’s political landscape.”
The Youngest Press Secretary Ever
Leavitt made history as the youngest person ever appointed White House press secretary, and she didn’t waste the spotlight. She became known for her rapid-fire delivery, regularly sparring with reporters and tearing into mainstream news coverage. Trump himself marveled at her speed, saying her lips “move like a ‘machine gun.'” Her unusually close access to the president also made her a direct pipeline of information — even for the reporters she spent most briefings battling.
A Well-Worn Path
Leavitt is walking a road plenty of press secretaries have walked before. Kayleigh McEnany joined Fox as a contributor in 2021 and now co-hosts “Outnumbered” alongside a Saturday show. Dana Perino, press secretary under George W. Bush, has been a Fox fixture since 2009.
And the pipeline runs in both directions: Trump has plucked Fox personalities Pete Hegseth, Sean Duffy, and Mehmet Oz for senior administration posts, while Lara Trump hosts her own weekly Fox program. At this point, the revolving door between the White House and Fox News has its own frequent-flyer program.
Awkward Timing, Though
Here’s the delicious part: Leavitt is joining a network her boss keeps publicly feuding with. Fox’s primetime lineup — Sean Hannity, Jesse Watters — remains staunchly pro-Trump, and administration officials are regular guests. But Trump has never let that stop him from lashing out at the network’s news coverage.
Just last week, he accused Fox of pushing “a completely negative narrative” and declared that “MAGA, and REAL Patriots, will never like Fox!” He renewed the attacks on Sunday, taking aim at “Fox & Friends” and complaining about the network taking Maria Bartiromo off the air. So Leavitt will be defending the president on a network the president was trashing days earlier. Good luck with that first segment.
The Takeaway
Love her or loathe her, Leavitt was must-watch TV at the podium — and Fox knows it. Her arrival adds one more Trump inner-circle veteran to the lineup as the president makes his closing case before the November 3 elections. The midterms just got their newest commentator, and she doesn’t do “balanced.”
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