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Karoline Leavitt may be stepping away from the White House podium, but she still has the president’s ear on who takes her place.
In her final official interview as White House press secretary Thursday, Leavitt revealed she has been privately advising President Donald Trump on her successor as candidates line up for the high-profile role.
“Of course, we’ve spoken about it,” Leavitt told “Fox & Friends.”
KAROLINE LEAVITT REVEALS NEXT ROLE AFTER LEAVING WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY POST
President Donald Trump has held hundreds of press events in his first year back in the Oval Office, with stenographers recording 2.4 million words from various open press events with Trump, according to the White House. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
“One thing I’ll say is there is no shortage of applications. There’s a lot of people who want this job, a lot of capable people who want this job,” she added.
Leavitt did not name any contenders but said she has given Trump her advice on the qualities his next press secretary should possess and hopes to remain involved until he makes his decision.
WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENTS WIDELY PRAISE KAROLINE LEAVITT AS SHE ANNOUNCES EXIT FROM TRUMP ADMINISTRATION
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt speaks with reporters in the James Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House, Thursday, May 29, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
After nearly 20 months as Trump’s primary public-facing messenger, Leavitt said there is one requirement she believes is indispensable: the president’s complete trust.
“Ultimately, it has to be his decision to make. [The] press secretary and the president – you spend a lot of time together – it has to be someone he trusts fully, and I know he’ll make the right decision at the right time, and I’ll be here to help him if he continues to want me to do so,” she said.
Leavitt also reflected on her time in the role, calling her departure “bittersweet” as she prepares to step back from the White House to spend more time with her two young children.
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“It’s bitter because I’m leaving a job that I love so very much, and it’s been the honor and blessing of a lifetime to work for this president, President Trump. There will never be another like him and to serve as his spokesperson behind that podium. It has been the adventure of a lifetime,” she added.
Leavitt said Trump’s support extended beyond giving her the job, describing him as an understanding “boss and a friend” as she made the decision to leave the West Wing.