Karoline Leavitt’s exit is leaving a void at the podium

BY JACOB BACK

Multimedia Journalist

On Aug. 27, 2026, former White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt announced her resignation from the highly sought-after role of the White House Press Secretary. 

Serving as the 36th White House press secretary, Leavitt made history as the youngest person to ever occupy the role at the age of 27. But aside from her impressive accumulation of the role at such a young age, Leavitt brought a sense of aggressiveness and urgency to the role. 

One that hasn’t been seen since Kayleigh McEnany, the White House Press Secretary during the first term of President Trump. Making her absence hit even harder. 

“She's become a star. It's that face, it's that brain, it's those lips — the way they move, they move like she's a machine gun," Trump said during an interview with Rob Finnerty on his opinion of Leavitt.

Leavitt’s explosive communication style and urgency to stay on top of the briefing are exactly what led her to the position. 

Growing up in a hard-working Catholic family in Atkinson, New Hampshire, Leavitt had an early understanding of what it takes to become successful. Her parents were small business owners, instilling work ethic in Leavitt herself.

 “I think it was watching him [Her father] and his understanding of the world and also watching how the government can really impact your life as a small business owner,” Leavitt said during a 2024 Derry News interview about her journey to the West Wing. “I didn’t realize it at the time, but I believe that had a big influence on my curiosity and inquisitiveness about the world around me, our government and everyday people.”

Leavitt attended Saint Anselm College in Manchester, New Hampshire, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in 2019.

But before her graduation, she gained an internship position with the White House in the Office of Presidential Correspondence. After graduation, she was promoted to a full-time presidential writer and then promoted to associate director.

From there, she worked under former White House Press Secretary McEnany. 

"When I see Karoline's tenure at the White House, I see someone who's bringing the same accountability that I brought – evidence-based accountability – but I know she loves the American people, and you can see that she has a sunny, optimistic disposition, even when it's tough to go out there and answer questions,” McEnany said during a 2025 interview with USA Today.

Leavitt’s “optimistic disposition” is exactly what gained her national publicity during her role. She was known for answering the right questions and not giving propaganda any form of national spotlight. 

Leavitt is not the one to let the Trump administration go undefined. In fact, one of her most remembered moments was during the January 2026 White House press briefing. 

During the briefing, Niall Stanage, a columnist for The Hill, questioned the administration on whether immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) were properly executing their job. 

She then hit back heavily and quickly by accusing the reporter of being a left-wing hack. 

“You’re not a reporter; you’re posing in this room as a journalist. And it’s so clear by the premise of your question. And you and the people in the media who have such biases but are fake, like you’re a journalist, you shouldn’t even be sitting in that seat,” Leavitt said during the January 2026 briefing. 

This exact explosiveness and defensive mechanism behind the podium are exactly what the Trump administration is losing. 

A White House Press Secretary's role is to defend the administration, advocate for the President of the United States and keep the focus on the wins of the administration and not nonsense questions. 

Leavitt has done an exceptional job at completing these exact things. Not only was she quick, but she was smart. 

Her upbringing helped her understand political landscapes from a young age, how to handle the media and how to compose herself in front of the nation. 

The comparison of how well she did her job is evident by not only by looking at the formerly appointed and newly ousted Leavitt successor, White House Press Secretary Katie Zacharia. But also Karine Jean-Pierre, the Biden administration's press secretary.

“Zacharia was all stilted delivery, nervous tics and lack of eye contact. With an eerie lack of emotion, she served up pro-Trump talking points, took only three questions and vanished after 14 minutes. It was like the West Wing had turned into an uncanny valley,” David Smith wrote in an article for The Guardian. 

Zacharia was let go of just 5 days after her announcement of acquiring the position. She was publicly scrutinized over awkward pauses and referring to her husband incorrectly.

"The idea of not spending evenings with my kids is completely unacceptable," she continued. "So my president — excuse me, my husband,” Zacharia said on Tuesday, October 13, 2026, during her first official briefing.

Leavitt was nearly always on top of her work, which brings a sense of professionalism, pride and love for this country and the Trump administration that the country might never see from anyone else at the podium. 

Trump even took to social media regarding her exit as the White House Press Secretary, stating clear words of respect for Leavitt. 

"A decision I totally understand and respect. Karoline will now be one of my top outside advisors, and an influential voice within the Republican Party,” Trump said.

With the position of the White House Press Secretary officially open, it is unclear at this time who will fill the spot after Zacharia. But it can be assumed that whoever takes to the podium has big shoes to fill in Leavitt’s place.