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Is the Pressure Getting to Trump’s Press Secretary? Viewers Speculate on Karoline Leavitt’s Recent Appearance
Washington D.C. – Being the press secretary for a former president is arguably one of the most high-stakes jobs in American politics, and it seems the intense pressure might be showing on Karoline Leavitt. On Tuesday, October 21, viewers of Jesse Watters’ Fox News program noticed what they perceived as signs of strain during the 28-year-old’s appearance.
Leavitt, who serves as Donald Trump’s press secretary, joined “Jesse Watters Primetime” to discuss recent White House developments. A key point of discussion revolved around remarks made by her predecessor, Karine Jean-Pierre, who was President Joe Biden’s Press Secretary from January 2021 to May 2022.
During the interview, Watters prompted Leavitt by noting, “Oh, she called you deplorable. And you said…”
Leavitt responded, “Well, with all due respect to my predecessor, she is one of the main culprits of the greatest cover up in scandal in American history. She took the podium every day and lied to the press about the incompetence of her boss,” referencing claims by Trump supporters regarding Biden’s health.
The segment quickly ignited a flurry of comments from Fox News viewers on social media. One user remarked, “Psychologists gotta study these people someday.”
Another humorously added, “The level of projection from the Trump administration could run all the movie theaters in the galaxy.” A third viewer quipped, “They’ll discover a mental illness only affecting Americans – American personality disorder.”
Amidst the public speculation, Christine Schneider, a Clinical Psychologist at Cambridge Therapy Centre, offered a professional perspective on the demands of such a role.
In an exclusive interview, Schneider explained, “Working as a Press Secretary means living under constant pressure. Every word, every facial expression, and every pause is dissected by the media and the public. That level of exposure can be incredibly demanding mentally.”
She further cautioned, “Someone in Karoline Leavitt’s position likely faces chronic stress, anxiety around public performance, and exhaustion from the nonstop pace of her role. There’s often a need to stay composed no matter what’s happening behind the scenes, and that emotional control, while impressive, can come at a cost.”
Schneider elaborated on this concept, calling it “emotional labor: the effort of managing one’s feelings to maintain a professional image. Over time, it can lead to burnout, irritability, and difficulty switching off after work.”
While acknowledging the difficulty of assessing an individual without direct insight, Schneider noted, “When people start to seem overly rehearsed, detached, or defensive under pressure, it can sometimes signal that they’re struggling to stay grounded, even though these are natural human responses to sustained stress rather than signs of weakness.”
She suggested that “Therapy could be hugely beneficial in a role like hers. It offers a confidential space to process pressure, explore boundaries, and manage the perfectionism that often comes with high-level performance roles.
Many people in political or media-facing positions find therapy helps them maintain perspective, resilience, and emotional balance. Therapy can help with building sustainability in a career that rarely allows space to breathe, rather than just fix a problem.”