NEWSKaroline Leavitt Warns Bill Maher He May 'Be Next' to Lose His Job After Poking Fun at Donald Trump in Monologue
Karoline Leavitt fiercely defended Donald Trump as she teased that Bill Maher could be the 'next' to lose his job.
Oct. 28 2026, Published 1:59 p.m. ET
Karoline Leavitt got cheeky with Bill Maher, warning he could be the next to "lose" his job after his monologue took shots at Donald Trump.
The conversation kicked off on HBO's Real Time with Bill Maher after the long-time host, 70, asked Leavitt, 29, if she had any "advice" for Katie Zacharia, who succeeded her as White House press secretary before being fired earlier this month.
Bill Maher hosted Karoline Leavitt on 'Real Time with Bill Maher.'
Karoline Leavitt 'Wishes' Katie Zacharia 'Well'
Karoline Leavitt said she gave Katie Zacharia 'credit' for stepping up to the podium.
"Look, it's a tough job. It's a very tough job. People say it's one of the hardest jobs in Washington, and I'll give anyone who steps up to that podium credit," she replied. "The pressure in that room is enormous. The press are vicious. I give her credit for standing up there and, as the president said, 'It just wasn't a good fit.' And that's okay."
Leavitt said she "wished" Zacharia, 42, "well," adding, "We are on to the next."
Katie Zacharia Had the Shortest Tenure of Any White House Press Secretary
Katie Zacharia was fired from her role of White House press secretary after only five days on the job.
As OK! previously reported, Zacharia was appointed as White House press secretary following Karoline Leavitt's August departure and was fired on October 16 after only five days on the job.
Her dismissal followed a 14-minute press conference on October 13, where she appeared nervous and unable to answer media questions.
The removal marked the shortest tenure of a White House press secretary in history and followed backlash over claims she misrepresented herself as a lawyer.
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Karoline Leavitt Teased Bill Maher Could Be 'Fired' Next
Karoline Leavitt stepped down from her position as White House press secretary on August 27.
Maher suggested that Zacharia's firing was premature, saying, "Sometimes you give up a home run in the first inning. They don't usually go to the bullpen that quick."
Leavitt fiercely defended Trump's decision, pointing to his early 2000s reality TV show The Apprentice, where he gained a reputation for firing contestants. "He's known for moving on from people; it's in his nature to do that type of thing," she said.
"Well, I just hope I'm not next," Maher quipped, prompting Leavitt to respond, "After that monologue, you might be."
Bill Maher Took Several Shots at Donald Trump Ahead of Midterm Elections
Bill Maher claimed that Donald Trump had the 'lowest approval rating of any midterm candidate ever.'
The episode kicked off with Maher addressing the upcoming election season and claiming that Trump had the "lowest approval rating of any midterm candidate ever."
"Only one percent of Republicans are mentioning him in their ads. It's gotten really bad. The billboards outside his rallies now say, 'Lee Greenwood and Friends,'" Maher told the audience, prompting laughter.
The New York Times reported on October 21 that Trump's 34 percent approval rating ahead of the midterm elections marked the lowest level for a president at that point in the election cycle since 1946.
