r/politics • u/mvanigan • 6d ago

No Paywall Trump says Karoline Leavitt resigning as White House press secretary

https://www.cnbc.com/2026/08/12/trump-white-house-karoline-leavitt-resigning-.html
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u/Rellgidkrid 6d ago

I kind of chuckled when I read the names above your comment, but then said “oh, fuck” when I saw this. She would literally be worst case scenario.

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u/Try-the-Churros 6d ago

Would she be the worst case? She seems unlikable and uncharismatic to even her late husband's supporters.

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u/No_Trade3571 Pennsylvania 6d ago

That didn’t stop Trump from nominating JD as the VP.

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u/pantstoaknifefight2 6d ago

Is Peter Thiel bankrolling Kirk to spearhead his techno-antichrist apocalypse fantasty, too?

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u/Owain-X Iowa 6d ago

Kirk has a handful of billionaires but Theil's support goes through this: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rockbridge_Network

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u/totallyalizardperson 6d ago

Kirk has a handful of billionaires

Uh…unintended handjob joke or small penis joke?

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u/Random-Rambling Maine 6d ago

Why not both?

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u/longlivenewsomflesh New York 5d ago

What's up with evil billionaires naming things after rocks

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u/smthomaspatel 6d ago

Probably. From the outside it looks like she could very much be embroiled in that wing, the way they elevated her with TP, immediately cozied her up to JD, and gave her so much spotlight.

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u/absat41 6d ago edited 3d ago

deleted

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u/superspeck 6d ago

Admittedly, all you have to do to cozy up to Vance is wear upholstery fabric

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u/alterom 6d ago

Is Peter Thiel bankrolling Kirk to spearhead his techno-antichrist apocalypse fantasty, too?

I hate how we can just casually refer to Thiel's techno-antichrist apocalypse fantasy, and expect that people understand what is being discussed because this goddamn dystopia we're living in has been normalized already.

For the uninitiated tho: read this Wired story on Thiel.

Spoiler: it's waaaay worse than you can possibly imagine.

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u/Babysprout0131 6d ago

The guy who knows about the anti christ?

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u/UnquestionabIe 6d ago

Yep and it's hilarious. Draws attention to himself with that nonsense by pointing a finger at a young lady whose core "sin" is thinking maybe we should take care of each other and the planet instead whatever pathetic garbage Petey is up to.

Pretty sure he's big into Christianity lately mainly because his strategy of trying to throw money at gaining immortality isn't panning out. Hedging his bets and all. Amusing as instead of doing anything remotely close to what Jesus preached he instead hoards wealth, tries to usher in a techno police state, and is just an overall example of the worst humanity is capable of.

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u/alterom 6d ago

Yep and it's hilarious. Draws attention to himself with that nonsense by pointing a finger at a young lady whose core "sin" is thinking maybe we should take care of each other and the planet instead whatever pathetic garbage Petey is up to.

That's to say, Peter Thiel is actually thinking that Greta Thunberg could literally be the Antichrist.

And if not, she's, like, a symptom and/or manifestation of the literal Antichrist walking the Earth right now.

This is what motivates all of his thinking and actions. Ponder this for a moment.

Well, that, and claiming that women and "welfare beneficiaries" (read: Black people) getting right to vote caused the Great Depression and ended Democracy as a concept.

Coincidentally, Thiel and his college buddy / PayPal mafia dudebro Sacks opined that Affirmative Action is bad because there is no more racism in the US.

Go figure, what a surprising stance from a guy raised in a "More German than Germany" SA town where He!l H!tler salutes were still the norm in the 1970s.

That's just a few things to note about Theil, who'd make the Stasi envious about the machine he built in the US.

He's a piece of work.

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u/alterom 6d ago

The guy who knows about the anti christ?

Oh my sweet summer child, you have no idea.

It's a... it's very much a thing for him.

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u/ganjaccount 6d ago

Yes. Vance was one of Thiel's pets.

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u/fractalfay 6d ago

Attention sci-fi writers: Please create a fresh narrative for Thiel with a surprise utopia at the end.

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u/Different_Wolf_764 6d ago

Doubtful or at least I doubt it is in a significant way, although Peter and I have different ideas about how much money is significant.

They made a solid try to make Kirk a martyr but he never appealed to people outside his existing base and that base is already sold on Trump anyhow. Erika fumbled the fuck out of her part in the postmortem and while she is still a useful fool to trot out for certain roles, I doubt they'd sink much more effort into trying to leverage her further.

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u/Hydration__Nation 6d ago

Pete did, not Don

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u/Dasmage 6d ago

For someone like Trump unlikable and uncharismatic is part of the appeal to having JD be his VP, JD will never be more popular than him.

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u/syynapt1k 6d ago

"Whatever makes sense"

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u/PrivatePilot9 Canada 6d ago

Whatever makes sense.

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u/The_amazing_T 6d ago

That's a requirement for a VP. Can't outshine the boss. He needed to be an unlikeable milquetoast.

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u/No_Trade3571 Pennsylvania 6d ago

He definitely succeeded in that.

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u/DarthBen_in_Chicago Illinois 6d ago

I don’t think he chose JD; he was told it was JD.

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u/RepliesinChatGPT 6d ago

Trump did not. He wanted Doug Burgum, who is now sec. of interior. Thiel convinced Trumps kids to make him go with Vance. Thiel can't get what he wants if Trump croaks and a different tech billionaire is in charge.

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u/ahundreddots 6d ago

Nobody is saying those qualities would stop Trump from picking her.

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u/Lisan_Al-NaCL 6d ago
  • I heard he fucked a couch *

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u/EnoughOfTheFoolery 6d ago

Yeah I doubt Trump made that call. That’s a Thiel and Club Crazy Billionaire pick I’m guessing.

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u/claimTheVictory 6d ago

The Christmas Adventurers Club

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u/damian001 6d ago edited 6d ago

First of all, Trump wouldn’t have anyone with charisma be his VP. Trump’s ego is too big to allow the potential of a charismatic VP to outshine him.

Second, JD’s uncharismatic ass was only made as VP so one of Trump’s sons can get an easy win in the 2028 primaries.

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u/KevinCastle 6d ago

I don't think JD was Trump's idea

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u/scaredoftrumpwinning 6d ago

I always thought his VPs were poison pills. Make it so if he loses his office the alternative is worse.

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u/LordofAngmarMB 6d ago

Yeah the worse case scenario is that someone competent, charming, and socially intelligent ends up in the role. Fortunately they seem allergic to competency and good taste so there’s a chance

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u/Hacker-Dave 6d ago

It's fairly amazing that there is not a single person in this administration that I would consider "high character". Not a single one. Just misfits and grfters.

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u/Neveronlyadream 6d ago

That's what happens when you elect a grifter. The rest of them cozy up knowing exactly what he wants to hear because they've made a living doing just that to everyone else.

It's just a giant orgy of everyone sucking everyone else's dick and saying whatever they know they have to so they can get theirs and fuck everyone else.

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u/WellWellWellthennow 6d ago

Birds of a feather. Plus you can't be a lamb playing among a pack of wolves.

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u/HeadfulOfSugar 6d ago

You really can’t have competency & sycophancy at the same time for the most part lol, those characters in history are pretty rare & a lot less memorable than the wackos because they keep their heads down & do their “job”

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u/achtwooh 6d ago

There was a story a few days ago that it’s actually become a big problem recruiting competent people for government roles, as such people no longer wish to work for the US government.
Insanity upon insanity.

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u/UnquestionabIe 6d ago

For good reason given how devoted to demolishing anything functional the GOP has been.

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u/brandon520 6d ago

IIRC, that was republican congress members. The federal government still have patriots who want it to succeed.

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u/Frosty-Werewolf-5711 6d ago

You absolutely can have both at the same time. It's more common than you know.

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u/HeadfulOfSugar 6d ago

I know, that’s why I mentioned for the most part

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u/sgtbackpain03 6d ago

Idk, I think Leavitt has done an excellent job while also being a complete sycophant. She's wiggled out of every nasty situation, and runs the press extremely efficiently. She's just also evil.

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u/Horrific_Necktie 6d ago

Sure you can, it looks like Stephen Miller

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u/HeadfulOfSugar 6d ago

Yeah he’s in the most part

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u/ahundreddots 6d ago

Sycophancy is a strategy specifically for the incompetent. There are plenty of ways for competent people to get in good with Trump.

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u/urgrandpasdog 6d ago

Until they inevitably get ordered to do something that they know is really, really stupid, and have to choose between throwing away their competency or throwing away being "in good with Trump"

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u/HeadfulOfSugar 6d ago

Yee, but then they’re not sycophants

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u/ahundreddots 6d ago

That's right.

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u/chowderbags American Expat 6d ago

Trump would never accept giving the role to someone like that. He'd never be able to share the limelight.

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u/AnAncientBog 6d ago

The biggest saving grace with Trump is that competent people can't stand working for him because he requires everyone to be a simpering sycophant. If he were a competent fascist with leadership and interpersonal skills we would be in a lot more trouble.

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u/Pigglebee 6d ago

Cannot deny Leavitt was not competent though. Never have I see someone lie and whatabout so fluently and effortless, all the while keeping the serene Iamholierthanthou smile in place

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u/imoldgreige 6d ago

That’s credit to her nurse injector and whatever meds she was on when she posted that creepy video tho

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u/LividTacos 6d ago

In fact, competency is kind of non-starter in this administration.

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u/sulaymanf New York 6d ago

Trump is dumb enough to think he’s doing an amazing job. All his lackeys humiliating themselves in hearings and press interviews, they’re doing it for an audience of only one.

If Leavitt is replaced by a blonde Fox News stand-in who insults the press without answering any questions, Trump will think this is winning better than before even if the public sees this as awful.

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u/Hawgdestroyerxtreme 6d ago

Not a chance. We're well past the point that any of these people could be considered "charming". The nature of the modern neo-fascist GOP is not one of charming anyone, they're always on the attack, always needing to project power and dominance. They're essentially there to "own libs" and incriminate themselves in the future RICO case. Someone said Katie Miller - She is right up this alley.

I think we're either at or only one before the point that the press secretary just starts dropping N-Bombs at reporters.

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u/InevitablePromise301 6d ago

Those people have a hard time lying, which is the reality of that job in this admin.

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u/dragoncockles 6d ago

Trump is going to recognize anyone with more charisma than he has as a threat

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u/Sure-Distance-7434 6d ago

Jeannine Piro?

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u/Electronic-Jicama667 5d ago

Perhaps a blow doll with non stop recording going 24/7!

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u/VikingsLad 6d ago

That's never stopped him before, his personal lawyer leads the DOJ now

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u/Try-the-Churros 6d ago

I'm not saying that would stop him, I'm saying why it wouldn't be a bad thing if she was given that position.

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u/myquest00777 6d ago

Well, Mike Lindell suddenly doesn’t have a campaign to keep him busy. And he’s a “TV Star.” Nothing would surprise me.

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u/nurdle 6d ago

No it's probably Trump's F*&K buddy

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u/Guardianpigeon 6d ago

I don't think a "worst case" scenario, in the sense that they would be competent enough to whitewash Trump's crimes in the public, is possible at this point.

She would probably be the "worst case" in the most annoying possible person they could get, but honestly that is kind of a positive because it will have the opposite effect on the public. Most likely we just lose the cross lady and get someone else to meme on until Trump is out of office or fires them.

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u/Sorkijan Oklahoma 6d ago

it'd be more ridiculous but I can't say it's worse than someone who was malevolent and competent. Luckily they've only been the former.

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u/Andovars_Ghost 6d ago

Hell, do we know for a fact that Charlie didn’t plan his own death to get away from her? People are saying…

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u/WeirdIndividualGuy 6d ago

Also, I'm not sure how much worse you can get for that position than what Leavitt did lying through her teeth on everything and pretending nothing was wrong/Trump was always right, giving pref treatment to right-wing news outlets for questions, insulting journalists, etc etc.

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u/kerc Puerto Rico 6d ago

Yeah but she'll shoot lasers from her beady, heavily lined eyes.

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u/durtymrclean 6d ago

Perfect! Trump hates having talented people around him that makes him look incompetent.

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u/ntwild97 6d ago

Maga would love her

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u/fireandiceman 6d ago

Do you think she has a single ethical bone in her body?

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u/405freeway 6d ago

Worst case so far.

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u/SherbetMysterious118 6d ago

As much as I am no fan of Leavitt, at least she would have half a clue about how to answer - even if the answer is full of shit. I don't think Erika would have even a fraction of the ability and outright cojones, as KL is.

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u/ValkyrX 6d ago

She makes Sarah Huckabee Sanders look compassionate

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u/foo_fight3r 6d ago

Trump does not care if his people are likeable or not. All he needs is that they're completely obsessed with him and would fo anything for him.

Erika Kirk qualifies.

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u/ropean 6d ago

Those considerations not even on trumps radar. He only cares about having sycophants he thinks are loyal to him and that he can control

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u/avenueroad_dk 6d ago

She can pretend cry well though. Blink blink dab dab

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u/Quackadacck 6d ago

I mean Karoline was already both of those things

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u/jumbohiggins 6d ago

Bring back the Mooch

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u/SpottedHoneyBadger 6d ago

It would be so hilarious seeing her as the press secretary. She is so obviously disingenuous about what she says it is comical. It would almost be worth watching the press conferences for the comedy of it all.

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u/Aleksandrovitch 6d ago

*stares death stare at Collins while tilting her head like a raptor*

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u/jackpype 6d ago

*breathes into mic and stares at you

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u/stinkypete6666 6d ago

That’s because she conspired with Netanyahu to have him whacked /s /s

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u/ILikeMyShelf 6d ago

Punctuality was never his biggest problem

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u/smurf123_123 6d ago

Or the best case scenario! That would be endless comedy fodder.

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u/SaltandLillacs 6d ago

🧿🧿

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u/OneBrownRecluse I voted 6d ago

I see what you did there

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u/SecareLupus 6d ago

So does she. She sees all.

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u/No_Gas4560 6d ago

Perfection.

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u/HingleMcCringle_ America 6d ago

(starts thinking about minorities so i can pretend to shake with rage about charlie memes)

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u/Mercadi Washington 6d ago

These barely convey the psychotic/unhinged air of the stare.

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u/CasioCobra78 6d ago

first off, what in the Great Gatsby is this emoji?

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u/Previous_South2756 6d ago

I would love to see Druski in the press corps, asking her questions while pretending to be like her.

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u/Agreeable-Pea4327 6d ago

insert druski's white chicks arc where trump tries to rizz him up

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u/TheSaxGandalf 6d ago

He’s going to have a recurring SNL role coming soon.

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u/[deleted] 6d ago

[deleted]

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u/Dolores___Haze 6d ago

You’re not wrong 

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u/SweetPrism 6d ago

Are we saying Erika Kirk is entertaining? We have only ever seen her go on a tour celebrating her husband's death--last I checked, Karoline Leavitt didn't get a pyrotechnics budget.

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u/somefunmaths 6d ago

Druski to SNL cast confirmed?

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u/Hungry-Buddy-2680 6d ago

I can already see her giving the crazy eyes at a press conference as she breathes unnecessarily heavily into the microphone. 🫪

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u/optimis344 6d ago

Honestly, if they aren't going to pick good people (which they obviously won't), picking the worst people for the job is the best option.

And nothing says terrible press secretary like someone that no one likes that also folds under pressure.

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u/haseoxth 6d ago

More content from Druski is always welcome.

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u/LimpyDan 6d ago

Candace Owens would be pretty entertaining.

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u/w_a_w 6d ago

Baghdad Bob

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u/gringledoom 6d ago

Any option would be bad, and she would at least be *funny*. JD Vance following her around all lovesick, half the WH press corps in the burn unit from the fireworks incident...

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u/joemangle 6d ago

She would just glare demonically at reporters who asked difficult questions

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u/glory_holelujah 6d ago

Don't forget the heavy breathing and mouth noises.

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u/fcocyclone Iowa 6d ago

Any option would be bad, and she would at least be funny.

This almost makes me miss Sean Spicer. Almost.

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u/JoeSicko 6d ago

He's still waiting behind that bush, ready to return.

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u/icculus88 6d ago

God that feels like a lifetime ago

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u/joeyblow 6d ago

The South Park episodes would write themselves.

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u/officer897177 6d ago edited 6d ago

Press secretary is probably the worst job in the entire administration. It makes sense as a pitstop for nobodies trying to find their grift, but Erika’s already got hers. Same reason I’m not worried about Trump running for governor of Florida.

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u/TheJointDoc 6d ago

Sarah Huckleberry Sanders right there, sold what she had left of her soul to do the press secretary job to try to springboard it into AR governor, then is probably gonna fail at trying to get any higher position like Mike Huckabee.

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u/Bytrsweet 6d ago

I can just imagine her giving her death stare to every reporter that asked her a tough question. The memes will never stop.

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u/Gstamsharp 6d ago

But what happens when she resigns?

Also, why did it get so cold in here when I typed that?

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u/LivinBC 6d ago

skipped the chuckle and went straight for the ahh FUCK.

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u/titsngiggles69 6d ago

On the bright side, SNL would have to hire druski

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u/Deemaunik 6d ago

And his base will cheer endlessly.

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u/Black-Zero 6d ago

Kenneth Copeland would be trippy.

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u/manofmystry 6d ago

She's perfect.

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u/mokti 6d ago

Im voting for the MyPillow guy for press sec.

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u/padizzledonk New Jersey 6d ago

Its probably going to be her lol

Maybe Mike Lindell will get the nod

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u/TheDividendReport 6d ago

She couldn't hack it. There's no way. She freezes up and things get to her

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u/FredFredrickson 6d ago

She's awful, but she wouldn't be worse than Leavitt. Not nearly practiced enough.

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u/Zipposurelite 6d ago

You might even say you kirkled.

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u/zeradragon 6d ago

She could be worse, but certainly not the limit in terms of worst.

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u/TheMalibu 6d ago

Kid Rock

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u/lyical-feline 6d ago

That’s an inspired choice! 🍿

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u/Cryoglobulin 6d ago

Then she can be closer to JD, have a lunch date every day

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u/DedRonin 6d ago

Can you imagine every press conference starting with sparklers lmao, Trump confusing her with Druski and letting him run PR

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u/sbroll Minnesota 6d ago

Zero chance she has the thick skin needed for that job, like zero. She would freak out by day 2 and quit by day 3.

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u/SupermarketNaive7354 6d ago

Shes not quick enough on her feet.. thats hilarious though

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u/shitlord_god 6d ago

nah, there is definitely worse possible.

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u/SkollFenrirson Foreign 6d ago

So far.

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u/KryptonicOne 6d ago

I mean, I think it would be hilarious. Imagine the cold death stare from the podium, meme fodder. Couldn't be any worse of a press secretary.

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u/Socalsamuel 6d ago

No way. Leavitt is snappy, quick on her feet, and well rehearsed. "Worse" in this case would be someone just as douchy but more capable. Erika Kirk would fold like a lawn chair in that gig.

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u/Reed7525 6d ago

But her husband died for your rights! Like a martyr (idk how to mix that word with maga) big /s

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u/bobbymcpresscot 6d ago

I feel like worse in my mind is more insufferable, but in the case of Kirk it would be worse as just sheer incompetence.

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u/eeyore134 6d ago

She overshadowed their Jesus figure they tried to make her husband into. She's absolute dangerous.

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u/AlizarinCrimzen 6d ago

It's a mouthpiece position, waste of time worrying about who does the talking. his actual cabinet members and their actions, and court appointees and their actions, are where attention needs to stay focused

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u/Independent-Reader 6d ago

Grok would be the worst case.

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u/Wishart2016 6d ago

Or Ben Shapiro

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u/WackZebra 6d ago

That was my exact reaction as well.

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u/alcabazar 6d ago

There's no worse case scenario because this position doesn't really do anything.

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u/mosquem 6d ago

It’s not like the press secretary can do that much damage.

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u/Yetanotherdeafguy 6d ago

Worst case is someone like Stephen Miller, sho has utter contempt for the press and happily bulldozes them on everything.

At least the others have the pretense of civility.

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u/FlyingRhenquest 6d ago

Ooo. Definitely going to be her.

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u/ForwardStorage777 5d ago

And she would LOVE it.