The Rest Is Politics: US
The Rest Is Politics: US

Karoline Leavitt Out: Has Trump Just Lost His MAGA Mastermind?

August 13, 2026

AI Summary

5 min read

Caroline Levitt Out: Has Trump Just Lost His MAGA Mastermind?

Caroline Levitt lasted just 50 days as White House press secretary after returning from maternity leave. Anthony Scaramucci, who held the same job for 11 days under Trump, is skeptical of the official story that she left to spend more time with her new baby. "I'll take it at face value," he says, "but let me tell you something—she is such a liar, Caddy, that it's a hard one to believe for me." Katy Kay is more willing to accept the childcare explanation, noting the impossibility of doing that job with a newborn. But even she flags the odd timing: Levitt returned to work on July 16, then announced her departure almost immediately. Scaramucci points listeners toward the passenger manifest of the decoy plane during the Iran threat episode as the real clue to what happened.

The motherhood culture war

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What you'll learn

  • 1 (02:35) **Karoline Leavitt's Sudden Exit** - The hosts introduce the news that the White House press secretary is leaving after just 50 days back from maternity leave, questioning whether the stated "child care" reason is the full story.
  • 2 (07:44) **AOC Freezes Her Eggs: A Tale of Two Women** - The conversation shifts to Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez releasing a video of herself injecting hormones to freeze her eggs, framing it as a deliberate choice to delay motherhood for her career.
  • 3 (10:57) **The Data Behind the Motherhood Divide** - Katy presents polling data showing a massive political split in childbearing rates among young women.
  • 4 (12:59) **AOC's 2028 Prospects and the "Woke One Was Crazy" Bumper Sticker** - The hosts discuss AOC's potential presidential run, citing a UNH poll showing her at 22% for 2028, far ahead of other Democrats.
  • 5 (17:20) **The Economic Altimeter: What Democrats Should Actually Talk About** - Anthony argues that Democrats must focus on economics—costs, costs, costs—and drop identity politics to win back working-class voters.
  • 6 (20:57) **The Catering Cart Incident: Trump's Secret Evacuation** - The hosts introduce the week's biggest story: President Trump was smuggled onto a military jet via a catering cart due to a credible Iranian threat.
  • 7 (28:47) **A Broken Norm: The Press Left in the Dark** - Anthony contrasts the Trump administration's handling of the decoy plane with past administrations that briefed the press for security reasons.

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Guests on this episode

Show Notes

Why did White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt leave her post, and was she forced out? Is there a demographic divide in America when it comes to having children? Why was Donald Trump smuggled into a military jet inside a catering truck?


Join Katty Kay and Anthony Scaramucci as they answer all these questions and more.


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