Karoline Leavitt, former White House press secretary, joins Fox News as contributor
Version 2: More outlets have now reported the Fox News hire, adding details on Leavitt's move back to New Hampshire, a Fox studio built at her home and the still-unanswered question of who will replace her as press secretary.
In short
Karoline Leavitt, who served as President Trump's White House press secretary until August, will join Fox News as an on-air contributor starting Nov. 1, the network announced Monday. Fox News Media CEO Suzanne Scott said Leavitt's White House and campaign experience gives her a distinct understanding of today's political landscape, and Leavitt said she would bring “the same energy and candor that defined my tenure” to Fox's viewers. Trump has not named a replacement for the press secretary role; NBC News reported he said in an Aug. 12 post that Leavitt would be one of his top outside advisors.
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Fox News announced Monday that Karoline Leavitt, who served as White House press secretary in President Donald Trump's second administration, will join the network as an on-air contributor starting Nov. 1 and provide commentary across its programs. Fox News Media CEO Suzanne Scott announced the hire, and the network said Leavitt would provide political analysis and commentary across Fox platforms. [ 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 10 , 11 ]
“Karoline's firsthand experience in the White House and on the presidential campaign trail gives her a distinct understanding of today's political landscape,” Scott said in a statement. “We look forward to her providing our audience with authentic and sharp insight across all FOX News Media platforms.” Leavitt said she was grateful for the opportunity to continue appearing on Fox News as an official member of its team, and that she looked forward to bringing “the same energy and candor that defined my tenure” to Fox's millions of viewers. [ 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 10 , 11 ]
Leavitt, 29, served as press secretary from January 2025 until August 2026, according to Fox News, and was the youngest person to hold the job. She left the administration at the end of August, giving birth to her second child in May according to AP, CNN and NBC News; The Hill said the birth came this summer. She said in an August post on X that she made the “bittersweet decision” to leave because she could not balance the demands of the role with being the mother she wants to be to her two young children. AP and PBS NewsHour reported that Trump described her as one of his “most trusted aides,” and NBC News reported that Trump wrote on Aug. 12 that she would be one of his top outside advisors and an influential voice within the Republican Party. [ 2 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 10 , 11 ]
CNN reported, citing a source familiar with the matter, that Leavitt moved back to Atkinson, New Hampshire, with her husband and two young children, that Fox agreed to build a studio in her home, and that she works at the Trump-aligned MAGA Inc. super PAC, a role The Guardian also noted. CNN also reported that she recently spoke at a Republican midterm convention in Dallas and helped host the launch of the America.gov website in Washington. [ 6 , 8 ]
Leavitt is not the first press secretary to move to television. Kayleigh McEnany joined Fox News in 2021 and remains at the network, and Dana Perino, who held the job under George W. Bush, is a Fox News commentator and host, according to CBS News and AP; The Guardian noted that Sarah Huckabee Sanders also joined Fox after leaving office. In the other direction, Trump has hired Fox News personalities for administration posts, including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, the Boston Globe, AP and The Hill reported. Trump's relationship with the network is complicated, the Boston Globe reported, saying he complained last week that Fox airs “a completely negative narrative” and wrote that “MAGA, and REAL Patriots, will never like Fox!” Trump has not named a replacement for Leavitt; CNN reported the last press briefing, on Sept. 3, was led by Vice President JD Vance. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 11 ]
Why it matters
The hire continues a pattern in which former White House press secretaries move into television roles, and in which Fox News and the Trump administration have exchanged personnel, with Trump having appointed former Fox personalities to cabinet posts. Leavitt stays in the political spotlight after leaving the briefing room: CNN reported she works at the Trump-aligned MAGA Inc. super PAC, and NBC News reported that Trump described her as an influential voice within the Republican Party ahead of the midterm elections.
Key facts
- Fox News announced Monday that Karoline Leavitt will join the network as an on-air contributor starting Nov. 1, providing commentary across its programs. [ 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 10 , 11 ]
- Leavitt, 29, was the youngest person to serve as White House press secretary; Fox News said she held the job from January 2025 until August 2026. [ 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 7 , 8 , 10 , 11 ]
- She left the administration at the end of August, saying she wanted to spend more time with her two young children after the birth of her second child. [ 2 , 3 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 10 ]
- Fox News Media CEO Suzanne Scott said Leavitt's White House and campaign experience gives her a distinct understanding of today's political landscape, and that the network looked forward to her “authentic and sharp insight”. [ 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 10 , 11 ]
- Leavitt said she would bring “the same energy and candor that defined my tenure” to Fox's millions of viewers. [ 4 , 5 , 7 , 8 , 10 , 11 ]
- Trump has not named a replacement for the press secretary role, according to The Hill, CNN and CBS News. [ 2 , 6 , 7 ]
- CNN reported that Leavitt moved back to Atkinson, New Hampshire, with her husband and children and that Fox agreed to build a studio in her home, citing a source familiar with the matter. [ 6 ]
- NBC News reported that Trump wrote in an Aug. 12 post that Leavitt would be one of his top outside advisors and an influential voice within the Republican Party. [ 10 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- Fox News will bring on Karoline Leavitt as an on-air contributor beginning Nov. 1, the network announced. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 10 , 11 ]
- Leavitt served as White House press secretary in Trump's second administration and left the post in August. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 10 ]
- Fox News Media CEO Suzanne Scott said Leavitt's White House and campaign experience gives her a distinct understanding of today's political landscape. [ 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 10 , 11 ]
- Leavitt said she would bring her perspective as press secretary, and the same energy and candor that defined her tenure, to Fox's viewers. [ 4 , 5 , 7 , 8 , 10 , 11 ]
- Leavitt gave birth to her second child and cited time with her family in leaving the administration. [ 2 , 3 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 10 ]
- Leavitt was the youngest person to hold the press secretary role. [ 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 7 , 8 , 10 , 11 ]
- Trump has not announced who may replace Leavitt. [ 2 , 6 , 7 ]
- Former Trump press secretary Kayleigh McEnany joined Fox News in 2021 and remains at the network. [ 5 , 7 , 11 ]
- Trump described Leavitt as one of his “most trusted aides” when she left at the end of August, according to AP and PBS NewsHour. [ 5 , 11 ]
Still unclear
- When Leavitt gave birth to her second child. AP, CNN and NBC News say May, while The Hill says the birth came this summer; CBS News refers to the birth of her daughter without giving a date.
- Whether Leavitt's departure was solely a family decision or also tied to a continuing advisory role. Only NBC News reports Trump's Aug. 12 post calling her one of his top outside advisors, while CNN reports she works at the Trump-aligned MAGA Inc. super PAC; most documents describe her exit only as a decision to spend more time with her family.
- The Fox studio that was reportedly built at Leavitt's home in New Hampshire. Reported only by CNN, which attributed it to a source familiar with the matter; no other document mentions it.
- The precise scope of Leavitt's Fox News role. Documents say she will provide commentary and analysis across the network's programmes and platforms, but they do not identify which shows.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- The New York Times reports that Karoline Leavitt, who stepped down as Trump's press secretary in August, will start her new role at Fox News on Nov. 1. [ 1 ]
- The Hill reports that Leavitt is set to join Fox News next month as a contributor. [ 2 ]
- Fox News Media CEO Suzanne Scott announces that Leavitt is joining the network as an on-air contributor providing commentary across the Fox News lineup from Nov. 1. [ 4 ]
- The Associated Press reports that Leavitt will serve as an on-air contributor beginning Nov. 1. [ 5 ]
- CNN reports that Leavitt moved back to Atkinson, New Hampshire, with her husband and two children and that the network agreed to build a studio in her home, citing a source; it also reports that Trump has yet to name a replacement and that the last press briefing, on Sept. 3, was led by Vice President JD Vance. [ 6 ]
- The Guardian reports that Leavitt's predecessors Sarah Huckabee Sanders and Kayleigh McEnany had also joined Fox after leaving office. [ 8 ]
- NBC News reports Leavitt's departure and cites Trump's Aug. 12 post calling her one of his top outside advisors. [ 10 ]