The former White House press secretary, who stepped down in August, will offer commentary across Fox News programming starting Nov. 1, the network announced.
 |
| Karoline Leavitt, the former White House press secretary, will join Fox News as an on-air contributor on Nov. 1. |
Karoline Leavitt, who served as President Trump's press secretary and chief spokeswoman until August, is joining Fox News as an on-air contributor. The network announced the move on Monday. She is set to start Nov. 1 and is expected to appear on both news and opinion shows.
Leavitt, 29, was the youngest person to hold the press secretary job. Variety reported that she was the 36th press secretary and served from January 2025 until August 2026. She has since left Washington and now lives with her family in New Hampshire, where she grew up, The New York Times reported.
What the network and Leavitt said
Suzanne Scott, the chief executive of Fox News Media, said in a statement that Leavitt's firsthand experience in the White House and on the presidential campaign trail gives her "a distinct understanding of today's political landscape." Scott added that the network looks forward to Leavitt giving viewers "authentic and sharp insight" across all Fox News Media platforms.
Leavitt said she was grateful for the chance to continue appearing on Fox News Channel as an official member of the network's team. She said she plans to bring her perspective as White House press secretary, along with the same energy and candor, to the network's viewers across its platforms.
Why she left the White House
The Times reported that Leavitt went on maternity leave after the birth of her second child and then said she would leave the White House to spend more time with her young children. At the time, she said she would remain a vocal advocate for the Republican Party and the MAGA movement, according to the Times.
Her background
Before joining the White House, Leavitt was national press secretary for Trump's 2024 presidential campaign. In 2022, she ran as the Republican candidate for Congress in New Hampshire's 1st Congressional District. She also served as communications director for Rep. Elise Stefanik, who was then House Republican Conference chair. Earlier, Leavitt worked in Trump's first administration as a presidential writer and assistant press secretary, according to Variety.
The Times described her as an unflinching advocate for Trump, who it said has praised her fast, forceful delivery and has said her lips "move like a 'machine gun.'" She often criticized mainstream media outlets and sparred with reporters, but her place in the president's inner circle also allowed her to give journalists information directly from him, the Times reported.
A well-worn path to Fox
Leavitt is the second of Trump's former press secretaries to take a job at Fox News. Kayleigh McEnany, who held the post near the end of Trump's first term, joined Fox as a contributor in 2021. She now co-hosts the lunchtime show "Outnumbered" and hosts her own Saturday program, the Times reported. Dana Perino, who was a press secretary for former President George W. Bush, has worked at the network since 2009.
Variety noted that other news organizations have also hired former White House officials. MS NOW has Jen Psaki, a former press secretary for President Biden, as a regular host and features former Bush administration official Nicolle Wallace. George Stephanopoulos, a former Clinton White House official, is a prominent anchor at ABC News. Variety also listed Larry Kudlow, a former financial official in the Trump administration, as a prominent host at Fox Business Network.
A complicated relationship with Trump
The Times said Fox News has close ties to Trump. Prime-time hosts such as Sean Hannity and Jesse Watters defend him regularly, Lara Trump, the president's daughter-in-law, hosts a weekly show, and cabinet secretaries often appear on the network. Several Fox personalities also joined his second administration, including Pete Hegseth, Sean Duffy and Mehmet Oz.
The Times also described the relationship as complicated. Last week, Trump posted on social media that Fox News airs "a completely negative narrative." On Sunday, he posted again, criticizing "Fox & Friends" and complaining that the network took Maria Bartiromo off the air, the Times reported. The paper said Bartiromo lost her show partly because she told a Trump adviser that Fox had decided not to cover some of the president's recent claims about a stolen election. It noted that Fox News paid $787 million in 2023 to settle a defamation lawsuit brought by a voting technology company.
Variety reported that the White House has tried to bar outlets including MS NOW, CNN and Politico from covering the grounds of the presidential home and offices. According to Variety, Fox News has supported those outlets and called for the bans on particular outlets to end.
What's next
Leavitt begins her contributor role on Nov. 1. The network has not been quoted as naming specific programs for her appearances. It has said only that she will provide commentary across its news and opinion shows.