Karoline Leavitt: Nothing but Trump’s Truth, with God as Her Witness
As the youngest White House press secretary, Karoline Leavitt set a new standard. Combative, unflinching and dishonest, she represented Donald Trump in a quasi-Orwellian fashion. A huge loss — at least for the U.S. president
Donald Trump doesn't need anyone to speak on his behalf. No president has ever broadcast as much as he does: a barrage of online posts, news conferences at almost every opportunity, and when he gets bored, he calls in to a Fox News show. The fact that the loudest man in America is now losing his press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, seems little more than a footnote. Yet her departure, which the U.S. president announced on Wednesday, will cost him his most faithful echo.
A press secretary is judged according to two standards. First, from the inside: Does she serve her boss' interests? And then from the outside: Does she do so in a way that helps get at the truth? Leavitt's report card gives her top marks for the first standard and the exact opposite for the second.
But for the 28-year-old, that was never the point. A press secretary is not a political ally with opinions of her own. Her job is to convey her boss' position as forcefully as possible. And in that, Leavitt was unrivaled. She adopted her boss' falsehoods so seamlessly that it became impossible to tell where she ended and Trump began.
And more than that: When it came to lying, she adopted her boss’ utter unflappability and distorted reality with a coolness that readily called to mind the regime in George Orwell's "1984": "War is peace, freedom is slavery, ignorance is strength."
An 'Amen' before the Briefing
From the podium at her first news conference in late January 2025, the youngest White House press secretary in U.S. history promised that she would always tell the truth. In the same briefing, she went on to claim that the U.S. government had saved taxpayers $50 million by halting shipments of condoms to Gaza. No such program ever existed. Not long afterward, on the subject of tariffs, Leavitt insisted that they would work like a tax cut for Americans. The opposite is true.
Leavitt's appearances in the White House briefing room were never an attempt to explain things. They were a means of glorifying them. She did this with a cross pendant on her chest and the broad smile of someone who knew she had not only the almighty Trump behind her, but also God. On one occasion, she entered the room asking whether anyone had heard her team's "Amen." They had managed to say a quick prayer just outside the door.
Leavitt did not merely fill the role; she burst its bounds, just as Trump shattered the traditional limits of the presidency. She used the podium as a stage for the daily battle against supposed "fake news." How she did it was impressive. Even under the immense pressure of perhaps the toughest job in the world, Leavitt didn't so much as bat an eye.
'Outside Adviser'
At 28, she is leaving at the height of her fame and is expected to remain connected to the administration as an "outside adviser." It is an ideal launch pad for a career in politics, the media or business. From the start, Leavitt played her role perfectly. And in the end, she even chose the one reason for stepping down that counts not as a weakness but as an asset: spending more time with her two children.
With her combative approach and sharpness toward reporters, she contributed, in her own way, to the deepening divisions in the United States. Her departure is no loss to the pursuit of truth. Trump, on the other hand, will miss her dearly.
Donald Trump doesn't need anyone to speak on his behalf. No president has ever broadcast as much as he does: a barrage of online posts, news conferences at almost every opportunity, and when he gets bored, he calls in to a Fox News show. The fact that the loudest man in America is now losing his press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, seems little more than a footnote. Yet her departure, which the U.S. president announced on Wednesday, will cost him his most faithful echo.
A press secretary is judged according to two standards. First, from the inside: Does she serve her boss' interests? And then from the outside: Does she do so in a way that helps get at the truth? Leavitt's report card gives her top marks for the first standard and the exact opposite for the second.
But for the 28-year-old, that was never the point. A press secretary is not a political ally with opinions of her own. Her job is to convey her boss' position as forcefully as possible. And in that, Leavitt was unrivaled. She adopted her boss' falsehoods so seamlessly that it became impossible to tell where she ended and Trump began.
And more than that: When it came to lying, she adopted her boss’ utter unflappability and distorted reality with a coolness that readily called to mind the regime in George Orwell's "1984": "War is peace, freedom is slavery, ignorance is strength."
An 'Amen' before the Briefing
From the podium at her first news conference in late January 2025, the youngest White House press secretary in U.S. history promised that she would always tell the truth. In the same briefing, she went on to claim that the U.S. government had saved taxpayers $50 million by halting shipments of condoms to Gaza. No such program ever existed. Not long afterward, on the subject of tariffs, Leavitt insisted that they would work like a tax cut for Americans. The opposite is true.
Leavitt's appearances in the White House briefing room were never an attempt to explain things. They were a means of glorifying them. She did this with a cross pendant on her chest and the broad smile of someone who knew she had not only the almighty Trump behind her, but also God. On one occasion, she entered the room asking whether anyone had heard her team's "Amen." They had managed to say a quick prayer just outside the door.
Leavitt did not merely fill the role; she burst its bounds, just as Trump shattered the traditional limits of the presidency. She used the podium as a stage for the daily battle against supposed "fake news." How she did it was impressive. Even under the immense pressure of perhaps the toughest job in the world, Leavitt didn't so much as bat an eye.
'Outside Adviser'
At 28, she is leaving at the height of her fame and is expected to remain connected to the administration as an "outside adviser." It is an ideal launch pad for a career in politics, the media or business. From the start, Leavitt played her role perfectly. And in the end, she even chose the one reason for stepping down that counts not as a weakness but as an asset: spending more time with her two children.
With her combative approach and sharpness toward reporters, she contributed, in her own way, to the deepening divisions in the United States. Her departure is no loss to the pursuit of truth. Trump, on the other hand, will miss her dearly.
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