Former White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt joins Fox News as on-air contributor

Fox News contributor appointment

Former White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt will join Fox News as an on-air contributor beginning 1 November 2026. Fox News Media chief executive Suzanne Scott announced the hiring on Monday, stating that Leavitt will deliver political analysis across all network platforms. Leavitt, who recently turned 29, served as the youngest press secretary in White House history after taking the podium in January 2025. Following her departure from Washington, Leavitt relocated to her home state of New Hampshire, where the network agreed to construct a dedicated home broadcast studio for her appearances. Her on-air duties begin two days before the 2026 midterm congressional elections.

Scott praised Leavitt's background in the network announcement.

Karoline's firsthand experience in the White House and on the presidential campaign trail gives her a distinct understanding of today's political landscape.

White House tenure and departure

Leavitt stepped down from her West Wing position in mid-August 2026, explaining that she wanted to dedicate more time to her family after the birth of her second child, a daughter born in May. When Leavitt announced her pregnancy in December, she became the first sitting White House press secretary to do so. During her tenure in the second Trump administration, Leavitt frequently sparred with the White House press corps, restricted access to the presidential pool, and created a briefing room seat for non-traditional and conservative media figures. Trump described her upon her exit as one of his closest confidantes, stating that she would remain an outside political adviser and work with the political action committee Maga Inc. The White House press secretary position remains vacant.

Leavitt commented on her transition to television commentary.

I look forward to bringing my unique perspective from my experience as White House Press Secretary, along with the same energy and candor that defied my tenure, to Fox's millions of viewers across their many platforms.

Career path and media crossover

Leavitt graduated from Saint Anselm College in 2019 with a degree in politics and communication before working as a presidential writer and assistant press secretary in Trump's first administration. She later served as communications director for Representative Elise Stefanik of New York and ran as the Republican congressional nominee in New Hampshire's 1st Congressional District in 2022. Leavitt subsequently worked as national press secretary for Trump's 2024 presidential campaign before entering the West Wing in January 2025. Her move to Fox News follows earlier transitions by Trump administration figures, including former press secretary Kayleigh McEnany and economic adviser Larry Kudlow.

Network relationship with the administration

The hiring follows extensive personnel crossover between Fox News and the second Trump administration. Trump previously selected former Fox News personalities Pete Hegseth as defense secretary and Sean P. Duffy as transportation secretary, while network hosts Bret Baier, Laura Ingraham, and Jesse Watters attended a recent White House state dinner with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Despite these personnel connections, Trump criticized the network on Truth Social last week, objecting to airtime given to Democratic leaders including Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries. Leavitt made a public appearance in Washington last Tuesday at the presentation of the federal government chatbot America.gov before finalizing her network contract.