Storm in the US: Embarrassing debut for the new White House press secretary

The new White House press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, faced harsh criticism for her debut briefing, which lasted only about 15 minutes. She answered just three questions, stumbled, confused President Trump with her husband, and left a negative impression among White House advisors and the US media. Some are wondering how long she will last in the role.

The new White House press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, 41, took up her post just days ago, replacing Karoline Leavitt, who left in August. Her debut briefing, held on Tuesday, October 13, 2026, lasted only about 15 minutes, during which she read prepared statements for about eight minutes and answered just three questions, from Breitbart, Fox News, and the Daily Mail. According to CNN, senior White House officials and Trump advisors harshly criticized her performance, described as "painful to watch," "awkward and forced." Some are wondering how long she will last in the role. Trump himself praised her publicly. Awkward moments included confusing Trump with her husband, and an inability to answer a question about sharing intelligence information with Ukraine. Leavitt did announce the resignation request of the US ambassador to Greece, Kimberly Guilfoyle, amid a bribery scandal. Additionally, questions arose about her legal qualifications, after no evidence was found that she passed the bar exam. A Guardian commentator called her "Leavibot" and compared her to an AI character.