Karoline Leavitt Goes to Fox—Full List of Trump Officials Linked to Network - Newsweek
Former White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt is joining Fox News, becoming the latest Trump administration official to join the conservative network.
Leavitt, 29, who stepped down from her role as President Trump's chief spokesperson in August, will work as a contributor while providing commentary and analysis on Fox News Channel starting on November 1, the network announced Monday.
"Karoline’s firsthand experience in the White House and on the presidential campaign trail gives her a distinct understanding of today’s political landscape," Fox News Media CEO Suzanne Scott told Newsweek in a statement. "We look forward to her providing our audience with authentic and sharp insight across all FOX News Media platforms."
Leavitt, the youngest White House press secretary in history, becomes the most recent former Trump mouthpiece to work at Fox News, following in the footsteps of Kayleigh McEnany, who currently appears on "Outnumbered" and hosts "Saturday in America" on the network.
On the other side of the political aisle, some former administration officials for President Joe Biden have also moved into roles at left-leaning networks, including White House press secretary Jen Psaki, who now hosts The Briefing with Jen Psaki on MS NOW, and Kete Bedingfield, Biden’s onetime communications director who later joined CNN as a political commentator.
Jamal Simmons, who once served as Biden’s deputy assistant and Vice President Kamala Harris’ communications director, also works at CNN as a political contributor.
McEnany, 38, served as press secretary from April 2020 through the end of Trump's first term and joined Fox News in 2021. While at the network, she's interviewed national figures like FBI Director Kash Patel, Vice President JD Vance and Second Lady Usha Vance, among others. More recently, McEnany also had an exclusive interview with Edward Paltzik, an attorney for Lindsay Clancy trial juror Michael Desronvil. Her program, Saturday in America, regularly competes as the top weekend cable news program among total viewers, according to the network.
Kudlow, who previously served as assistant to the president for economic policy and director of the National Economic Council under President Trump, joined FOX Business Network in early 2021. He currently hosts Kudlow, where he dissects financial trends and the "impact facing households and businesses across the country," according to his network biography. Among other guests, Kudlow has hosted President Trump, billionaire Elon Musk, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and former Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin.
The 43-year-old wife of Eric Trump and former co-chair of the Republican National Committee currently hosts My View with Lara Trump on Fox News, where she works as a "dedicated advocate for her family, animals and conservative values," according to her official network biography. She previously worked as a paid contributor, but left Fox when Donald Trump launched his 2024 presidential campaign and then returned in early 2025.
Pirro, who previously hosted Justice with Judge Jeanine on Fox, was appointed as interim U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia in May 2025 and confirmed by the Senate two months later. Trump elevated his longtime ally to D.C.'s top role last year after Senator Thom Tillis, a North Carolina Republican, said he would not support interim attorney Ed Martin for a permanent position. Pirro marked the 23rd current or former Fox News employee Trump had recruited for his administration since taking office in January 2025, Newsweek reported last year.
Hegseth, a former Fox News host and contributor, became the 29th secretary of defense in U.S. history in January 2025 after Vice President JD Vance broke a 50-50 vote in the Senate. He previously served as an infantry officer in the U.S. Army National Guard and had deployments in Guantanamo Bay, Iraq and Afghanistan, according to his official Pentagon biography, which does not include his tenure at the conservative network.
Bongino, a former police officer who previously hosted Unfiltered with Dan Bongino, left the network in 2023 to focus on his podcast. He later joined the FBI as deputy director in March 2025 before leaving the agency earlier this year.
Duffy, who has worked as secretary of transportation since January 2025, previously co-hosted The Bottom Line on Fox Business Channel before Trump tapped him to join the administration. His wife, Rachel Campos-Duffy, continues to appear as a host on Fox & Friends Weekend.
Waltz, who has served as the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations since September 2025, briefly worked as a paid Fox contributor the year before winning election to the House of Representatives in 2018.
Tom Homan, the White House's current "border czar," had worked at Fox as a frequent contributor prior to being designated to his current role by Trump in November 2024.
The Fox News-Trump pipeline has also included Michael Bastasch, a former writer at the network who later served as the senior adviser for communications at the Environmental Protection Agency, as well as Tammy Bruce, a State Department spokesperson who regularly appeared on Fox News, and Kimberly Guilfoyle, a staple of The Five who now serves as the U.S. ambassador to Greece.
Keith Kellogg, a retired three-star general and frequent Fox News contributor, also served as the special envoy for Ukraine and Russia prior to leaving the administration in late 2025.
Her hiring comes as Trump seeks to advance his second-term agenda ahead of crucial midterm contests that will determine control of Congress.
Fox News has not announced how frequently Leavitt will appear on air or whether her contributor role could eventually expand into a larger hosting position, as it has for some former administration officials who joined the network.
Newsweek’s reporters and editors used Martyn, our AI assistant, to produce this story. Learn more about Martyn here. Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Samantha Beech and Gray R. Thomas
