‘Trump's Not Happy': The Don Looking to Oust Karoline Leavitt and Is Already Eyeing Replacements — After 'Blaming Her Pregnancy for Distractions'
Donald Trump[ is 'unhappy' with White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt.
April 2 2026, Published 5:00 p.m. ET
After Donald Trump seemingly half-joked to Karoline Leavitt she was "doing a terrible job" as his White House Press Secretary, the prez is itching to replace her, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
Leavitt, 28, is pregnant and going on maternity leave in a month, as a Washington, D.C. insider said the Commander-in-Chief is already eagerly looking for someone to replace her.
Donald Trump Blaming Karoline Leavitt's Pregnancy for 'Distractions'
Leavitt has been Trump's press secretary throughout his second turn.
Trump's controversial comments to Leavitt, made directly to her face in front of reporters during an Oval Office executive order signing, came after he openly complained about the amount of "bad publicity" he was getting.
"He’s not happy, and when he’s not happy, he starts looking at options," a source told Rob Shuter, who wrote about it on Substack.
"He's even blamed her pregnancy for distractions, saying the focus isn't where it needs to be," the insider continued about Leavitt, who announced in December that she is pregnant and her second child, a baby girl, is due in May.
Donald Trump Eyeing Possible Replacements for Karoline Leavitt
Scott Jennings is a lone conservative voice on CNN.
“It’s classic Trump,” the insider snarked about how the president was fuming over the bad press he's been getting. "Everything comes down to performance – and perception."
The real estate tycoon has yet to announce a temporary replacement for White House Press Secretary once Leavitt goes on maternity leave, but he has his eye on a high-profile TV conservative who is just as quick on his feet.
Senior CNN political contributor Scott Jennings has caught the eye of Trump for how he's able to defend Republican stances on the left-wing cable news network.
"Trump likes fighters. Scott goes on TV and defends him aggressively – that gets noticed," the spy dished.
Donald Trump Thinks a 'New Face' Could 'Change' His Coverage
Trump is mulling over who can take over for Leavitt as she goes on maternity leave.
Trump is also considering others who could take over for Leavitt, believing that having a different person deliver his messages could alter the bad publicity he feels he's currently getting.
"He thinks a new face could change the coverage," the source added. "That’s how he sees it."
For now, Trump knows he can't make an immediate move to oust Leavitt, but her maternity leave is coming at a good time for him to try out someone new.
"He hasn’t made a move yet," the insider revealed. "But he’s definitely thinking about it."
They added, "In Trump's world, nothing is permanent. You're only as good as today's headlines."
'Maybe Karoline's Doing a Poor Job'
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A White House spokesperson later claimed Trump was joking about his 'terrible job' comments to Leavitt.
Trump shocked reporters on April 1 when he chastised a pregnant Leavitt.
Referring to his numbers during the contentious 2024 presidential election, he mused, "I got 93% bad publicity, some people say 97, but between 93 and 97. A person who gets 97% of bad … maybe Karoline's doing a poor job, I don't know."
Trump then turned to Leavitt and told her directly, "You're doing a terrible job."
The president then asked reporters, "Shall we keep her? I think we'll keep her," going on to complain that despite all the "fake press," he still "won" the election "in a landslide."
Trump regularly jokes about whether or not he should replace officials around him, asking members of the White House press corps in October 2025, "How's Karoline doing? Is she doing good? Should Karoline be replaced?"
After receiving positive responses from the correspondents that she was doing her job well, Trump said it would "never happen" when it came to getting rid of the youngest White House press secretary in history.
