In the least surprising news since Donald Trump groused about Kaitlan Collins again, Fox News announced that former White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt was joining the network as a contributor.
A cheery Dana Perino made the announcement on "America's Newsroom" on Monday, Oct. 5. "We are excited to have her," Perino said. (Perino was herself a press secretary to George W. Bush.) "She's a woman with an exceedingly bright future. She also ran for Congress. Someone who's very courageous and brave."
“I look forward to bringing my unique perspective from my experience as White House Press Secretary, along with the same energy and candor that defined my tenure, to Fox’s millions of viewers across their many platforms," Leavitt said in a statement.
Leavitt is a perfect fit for Trump friendly Fox News
"Energy and candor" are not the first two words that come to mind when defining her tenure. Leavitt, who left her White House job in August, is also someone who is fiercely loyal to Trump, even if that meant telling or amplifying lies on his behalf. Some measure of that is practically part of the press secretary job description, but Leavitt's antagonism toward the media and unwavering loyalty to Trump carried it to extremes.
It's a perfect fit, of course, Leavitt and Fox News. Certain segments of the network's lineup ― including but not limited to its prime-time hosts ― are so outrageously supportive of Trump and his administration they might as well be on the White House payroll. Sean Hannity makes an effective minister of propaganda. (He is, in fact, considered a "shadow advisor" to the president.)
If Fox News was looking for another unapologetic voice to preach to the MAGA-converted, they found the right person.
This is not without precedent at the network. In addition to Perino, Kayleigh McEnany was press secretary toward the end of Trump's first term. And Sarah Huckabee Sanders, who served a relatively lengthy term as press secretary in Trump's first term, worked as an on-air contributor to Fox News until resigning to run for governor of Arkansas.
Jen Psaki joined then-MSNBC after her press secretary stint
But it's also not without precedent at other networks, and with other political parties. Jen Psaki signed on with left-leaning MSNBC (now MS NOW) after resigning as White House press secretary in Joe Biden's administration in 2022.
What a difference four years makes. Psaki certainly defended Biden vigorously (and has said she didn't see any decline when she worked at the White House). But her manner seems almost quaint now, out of step with the times. She never did anything as outrageous as, for instance, claiming that Trump never called Greenland "Iceland" ― even when he did, four times. Leavitt seemed to relish doing that sort of thing.
That kind of thing plays perfectly at Fox News. Does anyone think she will ever criticize Trump, or give any Democrat a fair shake? Of course not. That's not what they hired her for.
Her hiring, in fact, continues the symbiotic relationship between Fox News and the Trump administration. Pete Hegseth was a Fox News host; now he's the Secretary of Defense. Sean Duffy co-hosted "The Bottom Line" on Fox Business; now he's the Secretary of Transportation. Lara Trump, the president's daughter-in-law, rejoined Fox News as host of "My View with Lara Trump." She had worked at the network previously. Praising the president on Fox News is a pretty solid career path for the MAGA-oriented.
Everybody wants to party with their friends. Or, as Perino's "America's Newsroom" co-host Bill Hemmer put it Monday, "Welcome to the family."
Sounds about right.
Reach Goodykoontz at bill.goodykoontz@arizonarepublic.com. Facebook: facebook.com/GoodyOnFilm. Media commentary with a side of snark? Sign up for The Watchlist newsletter with Bill Goodykoontz.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Karoline Leavitt and Fox News are match made in MAGA heaven | Opinion
