Trump jokes he’ll be his own press secretary in AI-generated post
Donald Trump posted an AI-created image declaring himself the ideal replacement for departing press secretary Karoline Leavitt.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, 28, said she is stepping down to devote more time to her two children and husband Nicholas Riccio. While some Trump loyalists, including conservative commentator Scott Jennings, were rumored as possible successors, the president took a different route. At 11:34 p.m. on Thursday, Donald Trump uploaded an AI-produced photo of himself addressing reporters, captioned “The Best Press Secretary,” suggesting he would fill the vacancy.
The image, like other recent AI creations Trump posted—including a digitally altered golfing picture with Gary Player and a fanciful rendering of the Reflecting Pool—was shared on his Truth Social platform. The post also coincided with his continued use of AI to promote policy ideas, such as reviving the Keystone XL pipeline, and to mock previous claims about vandalism at the Reflecting Pool. No official response from the White House was obtained.
Why it matters
It shows how the former president uses AI-generated content to influence political narratives and mock the press.
How this story developed
- Aug 12 Scott Jennings Emerges as Leading Candidate to Succeed Karoline Leavitt as White House Press Secretary
- Aug 14 Katie Miller was taken off the list of candidates for press secretary.
- Aug 14 Jen Psaki publicly criticized Leavitt, calling her a liar and alleging she avoided tough questions.
- Aug 16 Multiple senior officials, including White House counsel and a deputy national security adviser, have resigned as Leavitt prepares to leave.
- Aug 16 Biographer Maggie Haberman said President Donald Trump kept aide Natalie Harp close as his “human binkie” while slipping out of Turkey in July.
- Aug 18 White House officials issued a rebuke following Ossoff’s rally comments about Natalie Harp.
- Aug 18 White House officials used profanity‑laden insults toward Ossoff in their rebuttal.
- Aug 18 Leavitt announced her resignation effective at month’s end.
- Aug 18 It was disclosed that Harp is a bone‑cancer survivor who attributes her recovery to the 2018 Right‑to‑Try Act.
- Aug 18 Megyn Kelly condemned Senator Jon Ossoff’s remarks about President Trump’s close aide Natalie Harp, calling the attack on the 35-year-old cancer survivor despicable.
- Aug 19 Scott Jennings reacted angrily on his broadcast after Ossoff mentioned Harp.
- Aug 20 Trump ordered an internal inquiry after private letters with Harp were leaked.
- Aug 20 Ossoff’s Atlanta rally comment about Harp provoked a profane tweet from White House communications director Steven Cheung and condemnations from several conservative figures.
- Aug 20 Ossoff doubled down on his remarks at the rally, further emphasizing the innuendo about Harp.
In this story
Related stories
15 in this thread