Karoline Leavitt joins Fox News: What her new role means after leaving the White House
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt will step down at month’s end after briefly returning from maternity leave for her second child. (Julia Demaree Nikhinson / Associated Press)
Karoline Leavitt is returning to television, but her latest career move is more significant than a former White House press secretary simply taking a media job.
Leavitt, who left her position as President Donald Trump’s press secretary in August, is joining Fox News as an on-air contributor. She will begin appearing across the network’s programming from November 1, giving her a prominent platform to comment on US politics after more than a year at the center of the Trump administration.
At 29, Leavitt became the youngest person to serve as White House press secretary. Her new role means she will now be explaining and debating the political world she recently helped shape from inside the White House.
What is Karoline Leavitt doing at Fox News?
Leavitt is joining Fox News as an on-air contributor, rather than returning to government.
Her job will involve providing political commentary across Fox News programming and platforms. The network said her firsthand experience from the White House and the presidential campaign trail gives her a different perspective on the current political environment.
Leavitt also said she plans to bring the same energy and candor that characterized her time as press secretary to Fox’s audience.
That distinction matters because she is not arriving at the network as a conventional political analyst with only an outside view of the administration. She spent the previous 20 months representing Trump publicly and defending his policies from the White House briefing room.
Why Karoline Leavitt’s Fox News move matters
Leavitt’s move gives her something she did not have while serving as press secretary: a regular media platform without the restrictions of a government position.
As press secretary, Leavitt’s principal public role was to communicate the administration’s position and respond to questions from reporters. At Fox News, she will have considerably more room to offer commentary and discuss political developments from her own perspective.
That could make her an important voice for Trump supporters heading into the 2026 midterm elections.
Her departure from the administration did not appear to represent a break with Trump. When she announced her exit, Trump described her as one of his most trusted aides and said she would remain an influential voice within the Republican Party.
Leavitt later confirmed that she planned to work with the Trump-aligned super PAC MAGA Inc.
Her Fox News appointment adds another major platform to that post-White House career.
Karoline Leavitt and Donald Trump: Is she still close to him?
Leavitt remains closely associated with Trump after leaving the White House.
Before becoming press secretary, she worked for Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign and previously served as an assistant press secretary during his first administration. She also worked as communications director for Republican congresswoman Elise Stefanik.
During Trump’s second administration, Leavitt became one of the president’s most visible defenders.
That relationship is likely to remain part of her public identity even though she is no longer an administration official.
Her recent appearances have already demonstrated how her new career could work. Since leaving the White House, she has continued discussing Trump’s presidency and her experiences inside the administration on television and podcasts.
Fox News now gives her a permanent platform for that commentary.
Why did Karoline Leavitt leave the White House?
Leavitt left the White House in August after deciding she wanted to spend more time with her family.
She had returned to the administration after taking leave following the birth of her second child, a daughter, in May. In December, when she announced her pregnancy, she became the first sitting White House press secretary to publicly announce a pregnancy.
The demands of the press secretary position ultimately influenced her decision to step away.
Leavitt said she could not balance the demands of the job with being the mother she wanted to be to her two young children.
Her departure was therefore presented as a personal and family decision rather than a political break with Trump.
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What changed under Karoline Leavitt as press secretary?
Leavitt’s tenure was notable for her approach to the White House press corps.
She sought greater control over access to the president and changed the traditional dynamics of the White House briefing room. Her team created a seat for “new media”, giving space to conservative commentators and pro-Trump personalities alongside traditional news organizations.
She also frequently clashed with reporters during briefings.
That approach made Leavitt a highly recognizable figure among Trump’s supporters while making her a controversial figure among some members of the traditional White House press corps.
Her Fox News position now places her in an environment where her confrontational and combative communication style can become part of her media identity rather than simply a feature of her government role.
Is Karoline Leavitt still working for the Trump administration?
No. Leavitt is no longer White House press secretary and is not returning to that government position.
Her Fox News job is a media role.
However, her political relationship with Trump has continued. Before the Fox announcement, she had also said she would work with MAGA Inc., Trump’s aligned super PAC.
That means her political influence may continue outside the formal structure of the White House.
The distinction will become increasingly important as the 2026 midterm elections approach, because Leavitt could now comment on the administration while also maintaining her established relationship with Trump’s political movement.
Leavitt is following a familiar path
Leavitt is not the first Trump press secretary to move from the White House to Fox News.
Sarah Huckabee Sanders and Kayleigh McEnany, both former Trump press secretaries, also joined the network after leaving government.
That makes Fox News a familiar destination for former Trump administration communicators.
Leavitt’s move, however, comes at a different stage of Trump’s political career. The 2026 midterms are approaching, and Trump’s relationship with Fox News itself has occasionally become tense.
Trump has repeatedly criticized the network despite his long association with it, including complaints about its coverage of his political rallies and its treatment of conservative voices.
Leavitt’s arrival therefore places a former member of Trump’s inner communications operation inside a network that remains hugely important to his political base but is not always immune from Trump’s criticism.
What does Karoline Leavitt’s new job mean for her political future?
The Fox News role could give Leavitt a way to remain politically relevant without holding public office.
At only 29, she already has experience in presidential politics, government communications, congressional campaigning and national television.
Her political ambitions have also been visible before. In 2022, she ran as the Republican candidate for New Hampshire’s 1st Congressional District but lost the general election.
A sustained television career could give her greater name recognition and a national audience if she eventually decides to pursue elected office again.
For now, there is no indication that she is announcing another political campaign.
What is clear is that leaving the White House does not mean leaving the political spotlight. Her new Fox News role gives her another route to influence political conversations while keeping her closely connected to the movement that helped propel her career.
Frequently Asked Questions About Karoline Leavitt
Who is Karoline Leavitt?
Karoline Leavitt is an American Republican political communicator who served as White House press secretary during Donald Trump’s second administration. She previously worked in Trump’s first administration and on his 2024 presidential campaign.
Is Karoline Leavitt joining Fox News?
Yes. Fox News announced that Leavitt is joining the network as an on-air contributor. She is scheduled to begin appearing across Fox News programming on November 1, 2026.
Why did Karoline Leavitt leave the White House?
Leavitt left the White House in August 2026 after deciding she wanted to spend more time with her family and her two young children following the birth of her second child.
How old is Karoline Leavitt?
Karoline Leavitt is 29 years old as of October 2026.
Was Karoline Leavitt the youngest White House press secretary?
Yes. Leavitt became the youngest person to serve as White House press secretary when she took the position in January 2025.
Is Karoline Leavitt still Trump’s press secretary?
No. She left the position in August 2026. She is now joining Fox News as an on-air contributor.
Does Karoline Leavitt still work with Donald Trump?
She no longer works for the White House, but she has remained politically aligned with Trump. Before joining Fox News, she confirmed plans to work with the Trump-aligned MAGA Inc. super PAC.
What will Karoline Leavitt do at Fox News?
She will provide political commentary across Fox News programming and platforms, drawing on her experience working inside the Trump administration and on his presidential campaign.
Did Karoline Leavitt run for Congress?
Yes. Leavitt was the Republican candidate for New Hampshire’s 1st Congressional District in 2022 but lost the general election.
Could Karoline Leavitt run for political office again?
There is no announced campaign at present. However, her previous congressional campaign, White House experience and growing national media profile could give her a strong public platform if she chooses to pursue elected office in the future.