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Karoline Leavitt Delivers Brutal Verdict on Her Successor

The former White House press secretary also revealed she’s helping President Donald Trump with his search.

Karoline Leavitt has finally weighed in on her successor’s short-lived tenure as White House press secretary.

Leavitt, 29, was all smiles as she assessed Katie Zacharia’s disastrous five-day stint in the role that she held for 19 months.

“Did the president make the right call in choosing your successor?” Fox News’ Paul Steinhauser asked Leavitt on Thursday.

“Well, look, White House Press Secretary is a tough job. I know that because I did it, obviously, for almost two years,” she responded with a grin. “And many people say it’s one of the hardest jobs in politics—takes a lot of preparation, and sometimes you don’t know how someone will perform until they go out there.”

Leavitt then got candid about Zacharia’s fit for the role.

“So look, as the president said, we wish Katie the best. The job obviously was not for her, but we wish her and her family well,” she said.

Trump announced on Oct. 9 that it was his “great honor” to appoint Zacharia, 41, as the new White House press secretary after Leavitt left the Trump administration to focus on her budding family.

She debuted on the podium just days later—and bombed spectacularly. Zacharia’s first press briefing was marked by awkward pauses and uncomfortable smiles as she read prepared remarks. She then fielded questions from only three reporters, all from conservative news outlets.

Zacharia was later hounded with questions about her legal bona fides after reporters found that she had failed the bar exam and was not admitted to practice law in any state, contrary to her claims that she is a lawyer. She was eventually forced to admit that she flunked the bar because she was busy preparing to move to China, where her husband was working for an American private equity firm.

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By Oct. 16, President Donald Trump was telling the media that he had a frank conversation with Zacharia.

“I said, ‘Katie, is this for you?’ Because, you know, she’s been treated very rough, and she’s a nice person, a very nice person. I’ve watched her for years on television, but I said, ‘Is this for you, Katie? Because honestly, you don’t need this,’” he said.

“I said to her, ‘Honestly, if I were you, I’d reconsider. You think about it, but I would reconsider,’” Trump continued. “She’s got a beautiful husband and family. I met the family yesterday. Beautiful kids. It’s like from a picture postcard. And I said, ‘You should reconsider because you don’t want to go through this.’”

Zacharia was fired the same day, writing simply in an X post that “it was an honor” to work for Trump.

Leavitt revealed that she has been helping Trump with the search for his third press secretary.

“I know the president is continuing to look over options. There’s a lot of people who want that job,” she said. “It’s an amazing job. It provides you with incredible opportunities and I’ve offered the my help to the president to help him select someone who can serve him in the country well.”

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Julia OrnedoReporter

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