Trump dodges ‘best press secretary’ question after spotting Sarah Huckabee Sanders in crowd
WASHINGTON, DC: Donald Trump found himself in an awkward spot when he was asked to rank his press secretaries - only to realize that one of them, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, was sitting right in front of him. Trump praised current White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt as a “great, great press secretary,” but stopped short of calling her the best after noticing Sanders in the audience.
His quick attempt at diplomacy made for a light moment as he tried to avoid picking one former press secretary over another. “If I say you are the best of all time, I have Sarah sitting here,” Trump said before adding, “Let’s put it this way. They were both great, okay? Is that all right?”
🇺🇸 Trump, forced to rank his press secretaries in front of one of them, discovers diplomacy.
— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) August 24, 2026
"She has been a great, great press secretary. If I say you are the best of all time, I have Sarah sitting here.
Let's put it this way. They were both great, okay? Is that all right?"… https://t.co/N5N3lwHuuc
Donald Trump gets caught between Karoline Leavitt and Sarah Huckabee Sanders
The moment comes just as Leavitt is preparing to wrap up her time at the White House.
On Wednesday, August 12, she announced that she would leave her role at the end of August to spend more time with her children and family.
Leavitt said she plans to join MAGA Inc after leaving the White House, keeping her closely connected to Trump and his political operation.
She also revealed that she expects to travel with Trump to Dallas in mid-September for the GOP midterm convention, this time in her new role.
Sarah Huckabee Sanders has her own Trump White House history
Sanders is no stranger to the role of speaking for Trump.
She served as his deputy press secretary from January to July 2017 before becoming White House press secretary in July that year.
She remained in the position until June 2019. She is now the governor of Arkansas, having taken office on January 10, 2023.
Karoline Leavitt is preparing for her White House exit
The moment came during an event focused on the administration’s back-to-school message, with Trump speaking about education initiatives alongside Education Secretary Linda McMahon, students, parents and educators.
Trump said Americans have long understood the importance of teaching children to become “happy, healthy, proud, productive, and flourishing citizens.”
He also highlighted what he described as the administration’s expansion of school choice.
