Karoline Leavitt, Trump’s happy warrior

Published August 14, 2026 7:00am ET



Outgoing White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt was a full-throated defender of President Donald Trump at the podium, but she typically served up the MAGA message with a smile.

That’s not to say the 28-year-old’s briefings weren’t combative, especially as she mixed it up with reporters from some of Trump’s least favorite media outlets, including one top CNN journalist whose visage is a frequent subject of presidential commentary.

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