Fox News liberal panelist Jessica Tarlov turned Karoline Leavitt’s coming White House departure into an occasion to accuse the press secretary of lying, dodging questions, and doing President Donald Trump’s bidding. Tarlov delivered the broadside Thursday during a discussion on “The Five.” Her attack came as journalists who covered Leavitt offered unusually positive assessments of her performance behind the White House podium.
President Trump announced Wednesday that Leavitt would leave her position at the end of August to spend more time with her family. Leavitt, 28, recently returned to work after giving birth to her daughter, Viviana, in May and also has a two-year-old son. She became the youngest White House press secretary in American history when she assumed the position at age 27.
Tarlov initially rejected suggestions that suspicious circumstances might be behind Leavitt’s departure. She pivoted to arguing that Trump retained Leavitt because she “does his bidding very well.” Tarlov followed that claim with a three-part attack on Leavitt’s handling of questions from the press corps, saying, “You know, she dodges, she attacks, she obfuscates.”
“I did want to review some of the mistruths, lies, whatever it was from the podium,” Tarlov continued, according to the AOL report. She cited administration statements about alleged federal spending on condoms for Gaza, the Epstein files, and the Signal chat involving journalist Jeffrey Goldberg. Tarlov also targeted claims concerning Kilmar Abrego Garcia, affordability under Trump, and the effect of a federal aid freeze.
The timing of Tarlov’s attack was striking because Leavitt had just received praise from reporters across the political spectrum. Fox News senior White House correspondent Jacqui Heinrich described her as an effective messenger who was “very accessible and in the room with the president.” Heinrich contrasted that access with the Biden administration and said Leavitt’s departure would be a major loss for the White House.
Other members of the press corps offered similar assessments. NBC News correspondent Garrett Haake wrote that it was “impossible to overstate” Leavitt’s status as an inner-circle figure whom Trump trusted as an adviser. Reporters interviewed by Fox News Digital credited Leavitt with calling on legacy and independent journalists, understanding Trump’s policies, and dealing fairly with reporters despite frequently challenging hostile questions.
Watch Tarlov attack Leavitt’s record here:
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Leavitt said her decision followed considerable thought after returning from maternity leave. She explained that she felt unable to be the best mother her two young children deserved while devoting the constant attention required by the press secretary position. Although she called her departure a “bittersweet decision,” Leavitt said she was ready to begin a new chapter with her family.
Trump said Leavitt would remain involved as an outside adviser and an influential Republican voice ahead of the midterm elections. He praised her service dating back to his first administration and described her as a trusted aide who helped lead his communications operation during the 2024 campaign. Trump called Leavitt “one of the best White House Press Secretaries in the History of the Office.”
Featured image credit: screengrab from the embedded video.