Karoline Leavitt’s wildest White House moments: 10 times Trump’s press secretary got everyone talking

Leavitt was just 27 when she held her first briefing on Jan 28, 2025, making her the youngest person ever to serve as White House press secretary. It was a significant moment for the former Trump campaign spokesperson, who had previously worked as an assistant press secretary during Trump's first administration and later as communications director for Rep Elise Stefanik.

Leavitt used her debut to signal that the briefing room itself was about to change. She announced that the White House would welcome podcasters, social media personalities and other nontraditional outlets into the press operation. Leavitt championed the administration's push to give “new media” creators greater access, arguing that Americans were increasingly getting their news from podcasts, independent outlets and social platforms rather than traditional newspapers and television networks.

One of Leavitt's biggest confrontations with the traditional press involved the Associated Press. After Trump ordered the federal government to rename the Gulf of Mexico the “Gulf of America,” the AP continued using Gulf of Mexico in its general coverage while acknowledging Trump's chosen name. Leavitt publicly defended the administration's position as the dispute moved beyond the briefing room and into the courts, making the episode one of the most consequential media fights of her tenure.

Leavitt's willingness to confront journalists produced some of her most viral moments. One came in June 2025 after she was asked about Trump's warning that protesters who disrupted a military parade would be met with “very big force.” When a reporter asked what kind of protest Trump considered acceptable, Leavitt immediately pushed back “What a stupid question,” she responded.

Not all of Leavitt's memorable responses came from behind the White House podium. When HuffPost White House correspondent SV Dáte questioned who had suggested a particular location for a meeting between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, Leavitt offered an answer few would expect from a White House press secretary. “Your mom did,” she replied.

CNN's Kaitlan Collins emerged as one of Leavitt's most prominent briefing-room sparring partners. Their exchanges repeatedly generated headlines as Collins pressed the administration on Trump's decisions and Leavitt pushed back on the framing of her questions.

Leavitt didn't generate headlines only through her own words. Her boss occasionally did it for her. Trump offered an unusual assessment of his press secretary during a 2025 interview while praising her performance. “She's become a star,” Trump said before praising her face, brain and lips and comparing the speed at which she spoke to a “machine gun.” He went on to call Leavitt a “great person” and suggested no president had ever had a better press secretary. The remarks attracted widespread attention and were later revisited when Trump again made a similar “machine gun” comparison while talking to reporters aboard Air Force One.

Leavitt experienced a major personal milestone while serving in the administration. She announced in May 2026 that she and her husband had welcomed their daughter, Viviana, on May 1. The arrival made Leavitt the first White House press secretary to give birth while holding the job. She subsequently went on maternity leave, temporarily stepping away from one of the most demanding communications positions in Washington. Leavitt and her husband also share an older son.

Her absence from the podium proved temporary. Leavitt returned to White House duties after welcoming Viviana and eventually stepped back into the briefing room, resuming her role as one of Trump's most visible defenders. The return was notable not simply because she resumed briefings, but because it underscored the unusual position Leavitt occupied: she had made history as the youngest person to take the job and then again as the first to give birth while serving as press secretary.

On August 12, Trump announced that Leavitt would leave her position at the end of the month. Leavitt described stepping away as a “bittersweet decision,” explaining that she wanted to spend more time with her two young children following the birth of her daughter.