Former White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt weighed in briefly on her successor, Katie Zacharia, who ended up leaving the post after just five days.
During a Fox News digital interview Wednesday evening, Leavitt made it clear she wished Zacharia well and noted that sometimes it’s impossible to know whether someone can handle the rigors of the job until they step into the briefing room.
Karoline Leavitt says she’s helping President Trump find his next White House press secretary after her replacement, Katie Zacharia, lasted just five days in the role — the shortest stint in U.S. history.
Leavitt, who stepped down in August to focus on her two young children, told Fox News Digital that the job “obviously was not for” Zacharia but wished her well. She said Trump “is continuing to look over options” and that “a lot of people want that job.”
Leavitt also shut down any speculation about a future run for office, saying she has no plans to seek elected office “in the near future at all, or in the future at all.” She officially becomes a Fox News contributor in November.
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“White House press secretary is a tough job. I know that because I did it, obviously for almost two years, and many people say it’s one of the hardest jobs in politics,” Leavitt said, adding that the job required “a lot of preparation.”
“Sometimes you don’t know how someone will perform until they go out there,” she continued. “We wish Katie the best. The job obviously was not for her, but we wish her and her family well.”
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Leavitt said she offered to assist President Donald Trump as he began searching for a permanent replacement.
“I’ve offered my help to the president to help him select someone who can serve him and the country well.”
Trump, she said, “is continuing to look over options. There’s a lot of people who want that job. It’s an amazing job. It provides you with incredible opportunities.”
Leavitt also reflected on her own appointment during an appearance on TPUSA’s “Make Heaven Crowded” tour.
“When he [President Trump] offered me the position, he said, ‘Karoline, a lot of people have called me and told me not to give you this job because you’re too young, but I told them when I was your age, I was building buildings in Manhattan and you can do it,'” she said.
Karoline Leavitt: “When he [President Trump] offered me the position, he said, ‘Karoline, a lot of people have called me and told me not to give you this job because you’re too young, but I told them when I was your age, I was building buildings in Manhattan and you can do it.’”
@karolineleavitt at the Make Heaven Crowded Tour in Manchester, New Hampshire
— Turning Point USA (@TPUSA) October 22, 2026
Leavitt held the job from the beginning of Trump’s second term in January 2025 until the end of August, and is set to join Fox News as a contributor in November.
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