Donald Trump suggests famous Fox News correspondent as Karoline Leavitt’s replacement
President Donald Trump publicly suggested Fox News national correspondent Alexis McAdams as a possible successor to departing White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt.
The exchange occurred during an interview in which McAdams asked Trump whether Leavitt could be replaced and if he already had someone in mind for the position.
“I would say you. How about you?” Trump replied.
Trump then told McAdams, “I’ve always liked you,” while praising the work she has done as a journalist.
The conversation did not amount to an official appointment, and no replacement for Leavitt was formally announced.
Trump turns the question toward McAdams
McAdams began the exchange by asking whether Leavitt was replaceable.
Trump gestured toward Leavitt, who was nearby but outside the camera frame, and said she had performed well in the position.
He then joked about her decision to prioritize her family.
“But I found out she likes her children more than she likes Trump. I’m very concerned about that,” he said, according to Mirror US.
When McAdams asked if he had a specific successor in mind, Trump suggested that she could take the position.
After telling McAdams, “I would say you,” he turned toward Leavitt and asked for her thoughts before signaling his own approval.
“I’ve always liked you, this is why I am doing this,” Trump told McAdams. “I don’t do this that often.”
He said he had encountered her after finishing a speech and then complimented her reporting.
“We see Alexis—you have done a great job,” Trump said.
McAdams thanked the president and expressed appreciation for his remarks.
Although the tone of the exchange was informal, Trump’s comments immediately placed McAdams among the publicly discussed possibilities for the White House podium.
McAdams has been with Fox News since 2021
McAdams, 34, has worked as a national correspondent for Fox News since October 2021.
Trump’s complimentary remarks came directly during her interview with him rather than through a formal White House statement.
The president did not say that McAdams had been selected, offered the job through official channels or agreed to take it.
His comments therefore represented a public suggestion, not confirmation that she will become the next White House press secretary.
Speculation over Leavitt’s successor has increased since her departure was announced, but the administration has not identified who will assume the role.
Leavitt will leave at the end of August
Trump announced on Wednesday, August 12, that Leavitt would step down at the end of August.
In a Truth Social post, he said she was resigning “so she can spend more time with her beautiful young children and family, a decision I totally understand and respect!”
Leavitt confirmed the “bittersweet” decision in her own message on X.
She explained that she did not believe she could be the “best mom” her children deserve while continuing to devote the “constant time, energy, and attention” demanded by the press secretary position.
Her explanation placed the needs of her two young children at the center of her decision to leave one of the White House’s most visible roles.
Leavitt welcomed her daughter, Viviana “Vivi” Riccio, on May 1. Vivi is her second child with her husband, Nicholas Riccio, 60.
Their eldest child, Nicholas “Niko” Robert Riccio, was born in July 2024.
Leavitt became White House press secretary in January 2025 as Trump began his second presidential term.
She developed a national profile through her frequent briefings, appearances and strong defense of the president.
Her approach also made her a polarizing figure. Critics accused her of spreading misinformation and objected to what they described as a confrontational attitude toward journalists.
Leavitt’s departure now creates an important vacancy within Trump’s communications operation.
The next press secretary will inherit responsibility for representing the administration before the media and responding publicly to questions surrounding the president’s policies, decisions and statements.
No successor has been confirmed
Trump’s remarks about McAdams offered the clearest public suggestion contained in the interview, but they stopped short of an official announcement.
McAdams did not say that she had accepted or was actively seeking the role. Her response was limited to thanking Trump for his praise.
For now, Alexis McAdams remains a Fox News national correspondent, while the identity of Leavitt’s successor remains undecided.
Trump’s four-word compliment—“I’ve always liked you”—may have fueled speculation, but the White House has not confirmed that McAdams will move from covering the administration to speaking on its behalf.
