Former White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt is joining Fox News as an on-air contributor, adding a media role to her post-White House career while maintaining ties to President Donald Trump’s political operation.
Fox News Media announced the hiring Monday, October 5. Leavitt, 29, will begin providing political commentary and analysis across Fox News Media platforms on November 1.
“Karoline’s firsthand experience in the White House and on the presidential campaign trail gives her a distinct understanding of today’s political landscape,” Fox News Media CEO Suzanne Scott said.
Leavitt said she plans to bring the perspective she gained as White House press secretary and the “same energy and candor” that characterized her tenure to Fox viewers.
Still Tied To Trump
Joining Fox does not mean Leavitt has severed ties with Trump.
Before leaving the White House, Leavitt confirmed that she planned to return to MAGA Inc., the Trump-aligned super PAC where she worked before joining Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign.
Trump also said when her departure was announced that Leavitt would remain one of his top outside advisers.
Fox described Leavitt’s new position as an on-air contributor who will provide commentary and analysis. The network has not indicated that her Fox role changes her previously announced work with MAGA Inc. or her relationship with Trump.
Leavitt follows other former White House press secretaries into Fox News. Dana Perino, who served under President George W. Bush, and Kayleigh McEnany, Trump’s final press secretary during his first term, later became prominent Fox personalities.
White House Media Battle Continues
Leavitt’s move into television news comes as the Trump administration remains embroiled in a dispute over White House access for several major news organizations.
As previously reported by The Dallas Express, Trump announced September 18 that CNN, MS NOW and Politico were being banned from the White House “effective immediately,” accusing the outlets of publishing false coverage.
Reporters from the three organizations were turned away the following day after their White House credentials were deactivated.
CNN, MS NOW and Politico subsequently sued the administration. U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly temporarily restored their access to White House grounds, although the order did not guarantee access to presidential travel or press-pool assignments. The organizations have asked the court to prevent the administration from enforcing the ban while the case proceeds.
The dispute has continued. Politico was blocked Monday from traveling aboard Air Force One during Trump’s trip to Nebraska despite the temporary restoration of its White House credentials.
Fox News joined ABC News, CBS News, CNN and NBC News in a September 21 statement opposing the administration’s restrictions.
The Dallas Express has White House press access of its own. DX was invited into the White House New Media Program in November 2025 and received its first White House press credentials.
Expanding access to nontraditional media was one of Leavitt’s signature initiatives as press secretary.
Youngest White House Press Secretary
Leavitt became the youngest White House press secretary in U.S. history when she took the job at age 27 after Trump returned to office in January 2025.
She previously served as national press secretary for Trump’s 2024 campaign, worked in Trump’s first administration as a presidential writer and assistant press secretary, and served as communications director for then-House Republican Conference Chair Rep. Elise Stefanik.
Leavitt also was the Republican nominee for New Hampshire’s 1st Congressional District in 2022.
Her final day as the 36th White House press secretary was August 27, according to the White House.
Marriage, Motherhood And Her White House Exit
Leavitt married New Hampshire real estate developer Nicholas Riccio in January 2025. The couple has two children.
Their son, Nicholas Robert “Niko” Riccio, was born in July 2024. Leavitt returned to work on Trump’s presidential campaign only days later following the attempted assassination of Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania.
In December 2025, Leavitt announced her second pregnancy, becoming the first sitting White House press secretary to publicly announce a pregnancy while holding the job.
Their daughter, Viviana “Vivi,” was born May 1, 2026.
Leavitt returned from maternity leave before announcing in August that she would leave the White House, saying the demands of the position made it difficult to be the mother she wanted to be to her two young children.
Who Replaces Leavitt?
No one has, at least permanently.
The White House has not announced a new press secretary, and the position remained vacant as of October 5, according to The Washington Post. Trump had not settled on a successor when Leavitt departed in August, administration officials previously told CBS News.
Leavitt’s move to Fox News marks a change in venue more than a retreat from national politics. She leaves the White House podium for a prominent media role while continuing to serve as an outside adviser to Trump and maintaining a place within the Republican political operation heading into the midterm elections.
