Karoline Leavitt has addressed rumors linking her White House departure to a reported security scare involving Donald Trump’s plane. The former press secretary says the story spreading online is false. She also said where she was at the time of the incident. Her response comes after she left the White House and moved into new roles.
Karoline Leavitt denies being on the Turkey trip linked to the reported security scare
Leavitt addressed the rumor through Instagram Stories on October 14. During a question session, one follower asked whether Trump had failed to warn her about the plane scare and whether that explained her exit. The question was about a reported July 2026 security threat during a trip to Turkey. The account says that Trump transferred to another plane while other officials, including Marco Rubio and Scott Bessent, stayed on Air Force One.
Leavitt said she was not on the plane or even on the trip. “I was home with my kids,” she wrote, rejecting the claim that the incident led her to quit. She also said she would not have left the job over such a risk if she had been there. “Threats are part of the job,” she added, explaining that traveling with the president carries known risks.
She also mentioned her previous experiences in high-risk situations. Leavitt said that she had traveled with Trump to the Middle East and had spoken about war from the White House podium. She called the online story “a stupid online rumor” and added, “Zero truth to it.” Leavitt had taken maternity leave from April to July after the birth of her second child and returned to the podium on July 16.
Leavitt left her White House role by the end of August, saying she wanted more time with her children. She later joined Trump’s super PAC, MAGA Inc., as an outside adviser, and Fox News plans to bring her on as a contributor in November. Trump named Katie Zacharia as her replacement, and reports raised questions after her first briefing. However, Leavitt’s statement makes clear that she denies any link between the plane scare and her decision to leave.
