Donald Trump Throws Karoline Leavitt Under the Bus and Claims She's 'Doing a Bad Job'

President Donald Trump appeared to throw his dutiful press secretary Karoline Leavitt under the bus again during an Oval Office appearance on Tuesday, March 31.

The POTUS complained about receiving "93 percent to 97 percent bad press," and joked, "Maybe Karoline's doing a poor job ... Should we keep her?" before laughing it off and confirming, "I think we'll keep her.”

Social media immediately took note, with one commenter posting on X, “Karoline is doing a poor job, but he shouldn't blame others for the fact that everyone hates him. I assumed his job title was lying liar who lies, just like him. I guess he's throwing her under the bus for another liar.”

Popular anti-Trump activist JoJo From Jerz quipped, “Gangrene is more popular than he is at this point. Flesh-eating bacteria. Norovirus. Being doused in acid after receiving a million paper cuts. All preferable to him. H---, the Cats movie has more fans than he does. But ok.”

This latest dig comes as reports surfaced that the pregnant press secretary complained about an unflattering Thanksgiving photo of her, which was subsequently removed from wire services.

The image, captured in November 2025 by AFP photographer Andrew Caballero-Reynolds, shows Leavitt holding her young son near "Waddle," the turkey pardoned during last year’s Thanksgiving ceremony.

White House staff reportedly expressed "displeasure" with the photo, which was taken from a low, upward angle. Reports suggest the administration found the angle unflattering, specifically noting the appearance of Leavitt's neck.

Despite the latest jab, Trump has frequently praised Leavitt as a "superstar" and the "best press secretary ever."

He has highlighted her aggressive style at the podium, comparing her speaking pace to a "machine gun.”

This is not the first time Trump has thrown shade at his communications team.

During a January briefing marking his first year in office, Trump suggested he might have "bad public relations people" because his economic message was not reaching the public effectively.

After Leavitt attempted to defend Trump’s comments about federalizing elections in February, he reportedly "blew up" her defense by doubling down on his "nationalizing" election rhetoric in a later interview, leaving her official explanations at odds with his own statements.

Also in February, Leavitt told the press that anything Trump posts on Truth Social is "straight from the horse's mouth,” directly contradicting the White House's earlier claim that an "unnamed staffer" was responsible for a controversial, racist video about former president Barack Obama posted on his account, leading to accusations that her boss’ conflicting stories had left her exposed.

While the president has plans to keep her for now, Leavitt plans to take maternity leave in May, with the intention of returning to her role afterward.

No interim replacement has been announced for the position.