Pod Force One — Episode Summary

Podcast: Pod Force One
Host: Miranda Devine (New York Post)
Episode: "Trump's Media Enforcer! Karoline Leavitt on Tackling the Press, the Truth, and Speaking for Trump"
Guest: Karoline Leavitt, White House Press Secretary
Date: November 19, 2025

Overview

This episode features an in-depth conversation between Miranda Devine and Karoline Leavitt, the youngest White House Press Secretary in history. Leavitt discusses her experiences at the center of the Trump administration, navigating media scrutiny, handling crisis moments, and balancing her personal and professional life. The episode provides candid insights into both the inner workings of the Trump White House and Leavitt’s remarkable rise to political prominence.

Key Discussion Points

1. Post-Government Shutdown Reflections

• The recent 43-day government shutdown was a source of exhaustion and relief for staff, with President Trump portrayed as steadfast and victorious in negotiations, especially on healthcare and government funding.
• Leavitt outlines administration priorities now that the shutdown has ended, including affordability, trade deals, and a new executive order on foster care.
  • "The President stayed unified in saying, we want to reopen the government and we're not going to be held hostage to negotiate such a serious issue as health care overnight." — Levitt [00:26]

2. The Filibuster and Legislative Strategy

• Ongoing debates around the filibuster’s elimination to enable more Republican policy action.
• Leavitt asserts Trump’s determination and confidence in achieving legislative goals:
  • "He wants to see [the filibuster] gone so that he can have the most productive three years of any president ever." — Levitt [03:19]
  • "Don't bet against President Trump." [04:20]

3. Personal Crisis: The Butler Assassination Attempt

• Leavitt recounts the “surreal” experience of returning to work immediately after childbirth following the assassination attempt on President Trump.
  • "The least I could do was get back on television and, you know, start speaking on his behalf and fighting to win the election that he was again risking his life to win." — Levitt [07:37]
• She details the trauma, faith, and resilience within the Trump team during this period.

4. Inside the Trump White House

• Describes Trump as an accessible, supportive, and optimistic boss who values direct communication with his staff:
  • "He just always shares stories about his life prior to being a politician and president...I look up to him so much in so many ways, and he's so encouraging to work for." — Levitt [11:10]
• Contrasts this culture with the previous administration, emphasizing openness and teamwork.

5. Chief of Staff Suzy Wiles’ Influence

• Praise for Wiles’ calm leadership and how her steady hand and drama-free approach has contributed to a smoother, more effective West Wing.
  • "I've never seen Suzy stress. I've never seen her panic. She is really the calm that keeps the ship rocking." — Levitt [14:46]

6. Media Relations: Combative yet Professional

• Leavitt discusses her approach to handling the press—extensive preparation, professionalism, and calling out misinformation while remaining pragmatic in working relationships:
  • "We call out the fake news when we see it. We're very outspoken about that. But we will also work with good journalists who want to write good stories." [17:10]

Notable Press Room Policy Change

• Restricting media access to “upper press” after repeated inappropriate behavior, including eavesdropping and surreptitious recordings.
  • "It just became an inappropriate worker environment. And so now they're welcome up here, but it's by appointment only." — Levitt [18:46]

7. Scandals and “Hoaxes”: The Epstein Allegations

• Immediate rebuttal of new Epstein-related stories as another partisan-driven hoax and detailed defense of the administration's transparency.

  • "If you look at how this Epstein story sort of evolved over the past week, it's classic Washington hoax." — Levitt [20:55]

• Reflection on public distrust of the media:

  • "If people believed the media, Donald Trump wouldn't have won...the public wanted a man of action." — Levitt [23:39]

8. Personal Life and Background

• Leavitt grew up in a working-class New Hampshire family, credits her parents and upbringing for her values and resilience.
• Discusses her athletics background (college softball), early political interests, and internship-to-staff pipeline in the Trump White House.
  • "I grew up in a business family with a father who's very blunt and tells it like it is. And I saw many similar qualities in the president." — Levitt [29:21]
• Ran for Congress at 21, winning the GOP primary and gaining national attention, which led to her current White House role.

9. Motherhood and Work-Life Balance

• Candor about balancing motherhood (with a 16-month-old son) and a high-pressure political career, prioritizing family time, and being grounded by parental responsibilities.
  • "I feel like I wouldn't be able to be good at this job if I was not a mother...it really grounds me in this job." — Levitt [40:01]

10. Atypical Personal Life

• Addresses her marriage to a man 32 years her senior, their strong relationship, and familial acceptance.
  • "He is just an amazing guy. He's very introverted, unlike me...He's my number one fan." — Levitt [37:50]

11. White House Culture for Working Families

• Highlights the several working parents on the team, supportive leadership, and a family-friendly environment.

12. Memorable Anecdotes

• On Trump’s penchant for gift-giving, including spraying fragrance on visitors—including the President of Syria.
  • "I've seen it with other foreign leaders. I've seen it with members of our cabinet myself. He sprays his cologne and a perfume. Yes." — Levitt [44:03]

13. Unusual Press Questions

• Playful exchange about a comet that may be an “alien spacecraft” and Leavitt’s promise to look into it.
  • "I have not checked in on it with NASA, to be honest with you...but it's a question worth asking." — Levitt [45:24]

Notable Quotes & Moments

• "Don't bet against President Trump." — Karoline Leavitt [04:20]
• "If people believed the media, Donald Trump wouldn't have won." — Leavitt [23:39]
• "I give great thanks to both the President and our Chief of staff for allowing [full access]." — Leavitt [14:25]
• "He is a master at dealing with the press. He's been doing it his whole life." — Leavitt [12:48]
• "Being a working mom is. It's very challenging...I go home and I have to cook dinner and change diapers...then you get up and do it all over again." — Leavitt [40:01]
• "I've never broken a bone. I don't know how, knock on wood. But I made it through. I survived the torture." — Leavitt, on her tough childhood [28:24]

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Post-Shutdown Mood and Priorities: 00:26 – 01:29
• Filibuster and Legislative Tactics: 03:19 – 04:20
• The Butler Assassination Attempt (Personal Crisis): 06:38 – 08:18
• Trump as a Boss/White House Dynamics: 11:10 – 12:47
• Suzy Wiles’ Leadership: 14:46 – 15:54
• Media Strategy and Upper Press Policy: 16:45 – 18:46
• Epstein Allegations and Media Hoaxes: 20:37 – 23:24
• Managing Motherhood at the White House: 39:29 – 42:43
• Trump’s Gift-Giving and Cologne Anecdote: 44:03
• Comet as Alien Spacecraft, NASA: 44:51 – 45:57

Conclusion

This episode offers an intimate, fast-paced portrait of Karoline Leavitt—her meteoric rise, candor about the challenges of power and motherhood, and the Trump administration’s approach to media and governance. Listeners gain rare insight into the day-to-day pressures at the White House, as well as the personalities shaping its inner workings. Leavitt’s confidence, loyalty to Trump, and openness about her personal life make this a memorable and revealing conversation.