Only weeks after walking away from one of the most visible jobs in Washington, Karoline Leavitt has already revealed her next major career move.
The former White House press secretary is officially joining Fox News Media as an on-air contributor, beginning November 1, 2026. The network announced the appointment on October 5, confirming that Leavitt will provide political commentary and analysis across its platforms. Fox News Media
The timing immediately attracted attention.
Leavitt spent much of her tenure as one of President Donald Trump’s most outspoken public defenders. Yet she is moving to Fox at precisely the moment Trump has once again been publicly complaining about the conservative-leaning network — criticizing its coverage choices, its inclusion of Democratic voices and, most recently, its handling of his political rallies. The Washington Post
It’s an interesting twist, but not quite the political break that some dramatic headlines might suggest.
Leavitt remains closely aligned with Trump, and the White House has publicly welcomed her new position.
From the White House Briefing Room to Fox News
Leavitt’s new job will look considerably different from the role that made her nationally famous.
Beginning November 1, she will appear across Fox News Media programming to offer commentary and analysis.
Fox News Media CEO Suzanne Scott said Leavitt’s experience inside both the White House and Trump’s presidential campaign gives her a distinctive understanding of the current political landscape. Fox News Media
Leavitt, meanwhile, said she was grateful to officially join the network and intends to bring the same perspective, energy and candor that characterized her time as press secretary.
The transition may feel sudden, but Fox News isn’t unfamiliar territory for her.
In fact, her connection to the network stretches back nearly a decade.
She Once Interned at Fox News
Long before millions of Americans knew her name, Leavitt was a college student at Saint Anselm College in New Hampshire.
During the 2016 presidential election, she interned at Fox News Channel.
She graduated in 2019 with a degree in politics and communication before beginning the rapid political rise that eventually took her to the White House podium. Fox News Media
Now, ten years after that internship, she’s returning as an official contributor.
It’s a remarkable full-circle moment.
She Made History at Only 27
When Leavitt became White House press secretary in January 2025, she was just 27.
That made her the youngest person in American history to hold the position.
Her communication style quickly became one of the defining features of her tenure.
Leavitt frequently sparred with reporters, aggressively defended the administration’s policies and became one of Trump’s most recognizable spokespeople.
She also introduced changes to the White House media operation, including giving a briefing-room seat to representatives of “new media,” such as podcasters and digital creators. The Guardian
But while her political profile was exploding, her personal life was changing just as dramatically.
She Became a Mother of Two While Serving in the White House
Leavitt and her husband, real-estate developer Nicholas Riccio, already shared son Nicholas “Niko” when another major announcement arrived.
In December 2025, Leavitt revealed she was pregnant with their second child.
Their daughter, Viviana, arrived in May 2026.
That made Leavitt the first sitting White House press secretary to publicly announce a pregnancy while serving in the position. The Guardian
After taking maternity leave, she eventually returned to work.
But balancing two very young children with the relentless schedule of a White House press secretary proved difficult.
By August, she had made her decision.
Why Leavitt Left the White House
Leavitt stepped down as press secretary in August 2026.
She explained that she wanted to devote more time to her family after the arrival of her daughter.
Her departure didn’t represent a political split from Trump.
Quite the opposite.
Trump publicly praised his outgoing press secretary and described her as one of his most trusted aides. She was expected to remain involved in his political orbit as an outside adviser. AP News
That context matters enormously when interpreting her move to Fox News.
She’s changing jobs.
She isn’t publicly changing political allegiances.
But the Timing With Trump’s Fox News Feud Is Hard to Ignore
Here’s where the story becomes particularly interesting.
Trump has had a complicated relationship with Fox News for years.
The network’s conservative opinion programming has frequently been favorable to him, and several prominent Fox personalities have subsequently entered his administration.
Yet Trump has also repeatedly criticized the network whenever he believes its coverage isn’t supportive enough.
That tension has resurfaced dramatically.
Shortly before Leavitt’s new job was announced, Trump complained that Fox was giving too much airtime to Democratic politicians and commentators who criticized Republicans and him personally. The Washington Post
Then came another complaint.
Trump Was Angry About Coverage of His Rallies
On October 4, Trump publicly criticized Fox & Friends Weekend for not carrying enough coverage of his recent rallies.
He specifically referenced events in Ohio, Alabama, Texas and Oklahoma and warned that supporters could stop watching Fox if the network failed to show the rallies they wanted to see. The Washington Post
The following day — October 5 — Fox announced Leavitt’s hiring.
The juxtaposition was irresistible.
One of Trump’s most recognizable former spokespeople was joining a network that Trump had criticized only hours earlier.
But that doesn’t mean Leavitt is defying him.
The White House Actually Welcomed Her Fox News Role
The reaction from Trump’s team makes the situation considerably less dramatic than some headlines suggest.
White House Communications Director Steven Cheung praised the move, saying the administration was pleased Leavitt would have the opportunity to discuss Trump’s agenda with Fox viewers. The Washington Post
In other words, Leavitt’s new job appears less like a break from Trump and more like another platform from which one of his longtime allies can discuss his presidency.
Fox itself has emphasized her White House experience as one of the principal reasons it hired her.
She’s Following a Familiar Path
Leavitt isn’t the first former White House press secretary to make the transition from government communications to television.
Kayleigh McEnany, who served as Trump’s press secretary during his first administration, joined Fox News in 2021 and went on to become a co-host of Outnumbered.
Dana Perino, who served as George W. Bush’s press secretary, also built a major career at Fox.
On the other side of the political spectrum, former Biden press secretary Jen Psaki moved into cable news after leaving the White House.
For someone whose professional skill is communicating politics on television, the transition is a logical one.
Trump Has Also Recruited Fox Personalities
The movement between Fox News and Republican administrations has worked in both directions.
Trump’s second administration has included several people who previously held prominent roles at the network.
Pete Hegseth left Fox to become secretary of defense, while other former Fox personalities have also taken government positions. Los Angeles Times
So Leavitt’s move from the administration to Fox continues a well-established pattern.
What makes her case unusual is the timing.
Her New Life Will Be Based in New Hampshire
There is another significant change happening behind the scenes.
Leavitt has returned to her home state of New Hampshire, where she lives with Riccio and their two children.
Fox plans to build an in-home studio for her there, allowing her to appear on the network without relocating her family to New York or Washington. The Washington Post
That arrangement helps explain how the new position fits with the reason she gave for leaving the White House in the first place.
A contributor role is very different from serving as the president’s daily spokesperson.
She can remain involved in national politics without maintaining the same relentless West Wing schedule.
She Isn’t Disappearing From Politics
Anyone expecting Leavitt to quietly retreat from political life after leaving the White House may therefore be disappointed.
Fox News gives her an enormous platform.
She will be able to comment on the administration she once represented, the upcoming midterm elections and the broader political battles shaping Trump’s second term.
And unlike the press secretary role, she will no longer be standing behind the White House podium speaking officially for the administration.
That distinction could give viewers a different version of Leavitt.
A Remarkably Fast Rise
At just 29, Leavitt has already accumulated a résumé that would be unusual for someone decades older.
She worked in Trump’s first administration.
She served as communications director for Rep. Elise Stefanik.
She ran for Congress in New Hampshire in 2022.
She became national press secretary for Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign.
Then she became the youngest White House press secretary in American history.
Now she’s becoming a Fox News contributor. Fox News Media
And all of that happened before her 30th birthday.
The Trump-Fox Relationship Remains Complicated
Trump’s criticism of Fox shouldn’t be mistaken for a complete rupture between the president and the network.
Fox’s opinion programming remains broadly conservative, and numerous prominent figures from the network have maintained close connections with Trump’s political movement.
At the same time, Trump has shown that he is willing to attack Fox publicly when its editorial decisions frustrate him.
That creates an unusual environment for Leavitt.
She’s entering the network as one of Trump’s most recognizable defenders at a moment when Trump himself is openly demanding changes in Fox’s coverage.
November 1 Begins Her Next Chapter
Leavitt officially begins her contributor role on November 1.
Exactly how frequently she’ll appear — and which programs will feature her most often — remains to be seen.
What is already clear is that leaving the White House didn’t mean leaving the national stage.
Instead, she’s moving from one of America’s most famous podiums to one of its most-watched cable news networks.
And despite the eye-catching irony of joining Fox just as Trump publicly complains about it, the evidence so far points to continuity rather than rebellion.
Leavitt remains closely connected to the political movement that propelled her career, Trump’s team has publicly welcomed the move, and Fox has hired her specifically because of the experience she gained defending his administration.
For the 29-year-old former press secretary, the setting has changed — but the spotlight certainly hasn’t.
Sources: foxnews.com, washingtonpost.com, apnews.com, cbsnews.com, latimes.com, people.com
For more on Karoline’s journey, check out Karoline Leavitt Starts a New Family Chapter After Leaving Her All-White D.C. Home – Inside the Florida Property She’ll Share With Her Husband and Two Young Children, or see how other public figures are making headlines, like FBI Director Kash Patel Is Engaged to Country Singer Alexis Wilkins, 19 Years His Junior – RARE PHOTOS Reveal Their 3-Year Romance and Her Diamond Ring and Ella Bleu Travolta, 26, Looks Dramatically Different as She Steps Onto the Paris Fashion Week Runway – RARE PHOTOS Show Her Transformation Through the Years.
