Karoline Leavitt speaks out on viral rumor that Air Force One flight is reason why she quit
Former White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt has spoken out on the viral rumor that she left her position due to a clash with President Donald Trump over an Air Force One flight.
Across President Donald Trump's two terms, it feels like there's never been a dull day at the White House. We're sure this has caused a fair few headaches for his press secretaries, and it's fair to say that he's been through a good number of them. At the current count, the POTUS is on his sixth press secretary, with Katie Zacharia assuming office on October 9.
Trump's second term has seen fewer press secretaries, with Leavitt serving from his inauguration until she left the position on August 27, 2026.
Why did Karoline Leavitt leave her position as White House press secretary?
The official stance is that Karoline Leavitt stepped away after she welcomed her second child in May. Taking to X after Trump announced her departure and claimed she would be one of his "top outside advisors, and an influential voice within the Republican Party,’ Leavitt shared her thanks for being given the "honor and adventure of a lifetime."
Advert
Leavitt explained how "being a mother and welcoming a new baby while working in one of the most demanding jobs in the world has been the most rewarding yet challenging season of my life, to say the least."
She admitted that since returning to the White House after the birth of her daughter, she didn't feel she could be the best mother possible and give the role of White House press secretary the attention it deserved.
Leavitt referred to it as a 'bittersweet' decision but said she was embarking on a new chapter in her life.
Even as Zacharia has settled into her role as press secretary, rumors have dogged Leavitt's departure.
Back in August 2026, the Iranian embassy in South Africa replied to Leavitt's resignation and wrote: "Betrayal is awful. When your boss betrays you and sends you in danger, while he escapes in a food truck, you lose all hope for camaraderie. Of course, you can’t expect much more from a murderer."
While many thought the drama surrounding her departure had died down, an October 2026 Instagram AMA has sent the rumor mill spinning again.
What is the Karoline Leavitt Air Force One rumor?
Outlets including The Washington Post and The New York Times previously reported that President Trump was secretly snuck off Air Force One in a catering truck while Leavitt and others were left on board as 'decoys'. On July 8, President Trump openly boarded Air Force One at Esenboğa International Airport in Ankara, Turkey, following the capital's NATO summit. It's claimed that the POTUS and a few close aides were secretly transferred into an elevated airport catering truck, while traveling journalists and staff left behind were supposedly unaware of the situation.
Reports claim a smaller Boeing C-32A flew Trump to the United Kingdom, where the same catering truck trick transferred him back to Air Force One so he could descend its steps in full view of the world.
While the White House has neither confirmed nor denied the incident, it said it will "use every tool at our disposal" to address serious threats against the president.
As reported by Snopes, there have been whispers that Leavitt left her role as press secretary because she was left behind.
The outlet says this wasn't the case, with the New York Times' Maggie Haberman stating that she and Leavitt weren't on the plane. Haberman was the one who originally reported on the decoy ruse to the NYT, while a White House spokesperson later addressed the Leavitt story and clarified: "This is not true, she was not on the trip."
Hoping to put everything to bed once and for all, Leavitt has candidly answered whether there was any truth to the above.
On October 15, she answered a question that read: "Did Trump not tell you about a threat to Air Force One that you were on - aka why you quit?"
Taking no prisoners, Leavitt implored people to stop believing everything they read on social media and maintained she wasn't on the plane. Saying she was home with her kids, Leavitt added: "And even if I was [on the plane], I wouldn't have left the job over it! Every time you step on Air Force One, you know the risk of traveling with the President."
Saying she's been to the Middle East and discussed matters of war that come with a great risk, Leavitt concluded: "Threats come with the job. That's a stupid online rumor. Zero truth to it."
Even though we're sure the rumors will persist, Leavitt has made her stance clear.