Former White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt is pulling back the curtain on what it's actually like to work for President Donald Trump — and her account shreds the media's cartoonish portrayal of the 47th president.
During a candid Instagram Q&A while traveling Wednesday, Leavitt, 29, fielded questions from followers on everything from Trump's personality to her decision to leave the White House in August 2026 to spend more time with her two young children. Her answers offered a rare glimpse at a side of Trump the mainstream press refuses to show.
When a follower asked whether Trump was nice or kind, Leavitt didn't hesitate.
People don't see this side of him because the media doesn't show it but he has been nothing but kind and uplifting to me, even since departing. He's also hilarious. Love him!
The New York Post flagged the exchange, posting on X: "Karoline Leavitt reveals age-gap relationship details, hidden Trump trait in surprise Instagram post. 'People don't see this side.'"
60+ Hour Weeks, 24/7 On-Call
Leavitt, who served as press secretary from January 2025 until August 2026, also addressed the question she says she keeps getting: why walk away from one of the most powerful communications jobs in the world?
Her answer was blunt.
As Press Sec, I was working in the office 60+ hours a week, traveling the world, and always on call 24/7. Now, I am home with my kids every day and doing some TV hits. These things are not the same, ma'am.
She also confirmed her next move: officially joining Fox News as a TV contributor on November 1. Fox News Media CEO Suzanne Scott announced the role earlier this month, and Leavitt is expected to provide commentary across the network's programming.
Leavitt's path to the podium was hardly conventional. She previously worked in Trump's first administration as a presidential writer and assistant press secretary before running for Congress as a Republican in New Hampshire's 1st Congressional District in 2022. She also served as communications director for then-House Republican Conference Chair Rep. Elise Stefanik.
The Contrast With What Came After
Leavitt's departure in August 2026 paved the way for Katie Zacharia to take over the press secretary role — a transition that has not gone smoothly.
According to the Hollywood Life, Zacharia confused President Trump with her husband during her first White House press briefing and raised questions about her legal credentials, a rocky debut that PBS News covered just 20 hours ago as a case study in the pitfalls of the job.
The difference in command between Leavitt's tenure and what followed is hard to miss for anyone who watched both briefings.
Leavitt also addressed the personal scrutiny she's faced, defending the 32-year age gap with her husband, real estate developer Nicholas Riccio, telling the "haters" exactly where they could put their opinions — a moment the New York Post also covered.
Our Take
Here's what the legacy media will never tell you: Karoline Leavitt just described the exact same Donald Trump that millions of everyday Americans have met at rallies, seen on camera, and voted for twice — a man who is kind to his staff, funny behind closed doors, and relentlessly loyal to the people who serve him.
The press spent a decade painting Trump as a monster. Leavitt worked feet from him for nearly two years and says the opposite. Who are you going to believe — the woman who lived it, or the anchors who've never spent five minutes in the room?
And notice what the media did with this story. They ran the age-gap angle. They ran the "she's leaving" angle. What they didn't run is the part where a young conservative mother with two kids decided that no job — not even the most high-profile press podium on Earth — was worth missing her children grow up. That's a value system the Left claims to celebrate until someone on the right actually lives it.
Leavitt's move to Fox News on November 1 means she's not going away. She's trading the briefing room for the network that actually lets conservatives speak without a Democrat talking over them. That's a win for every patriot who wants to hear the truth about what goes on behind the White House gates.
The bigger question: if Leavitt is right that the media deliberately hides Trump's human side, how many other stories about this administration have we simply never been told?
