
What advice does former press secretary Dana Perino tell Karoline Leavitt?
What advice does former press secretary Dana Perino tell Karoline Leavitt?
Show Caption
Hide Caption
Fox News' Dana Perino talks about the election
Fox News' Dana Perino talks about the idea that Americans are divided, ahead of the RNC starting.
What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas. The same goes for conversations between two White House press secretaries. At least that's what Fox News host and former President George W. Bush's press secretary Dana Perino says about President Donald Trump's right-hand woman Karoline Leavitt.
"I always keep my advice to press secretaries private," Perino says. "I will say this though, she's got an exceedingly bright future, and I'm excited to be around her. She is funny, she is self-deprecating, she's a fierce loyalist, and you probably want her on your side, I would say. But I really admire her too, as a young mom and trying to figure all of that out, because it's an all-consuming job, and she does it quite well. She always has a smile, and I think that helps her, and it definitely helps (Trump)."
Perino's mother puts it simpler: "That girl's a real pistol."
Leavitt has done her job in being a steadfast spokesperson for the president, even as she's irked members of the press for trying to curtail their access to Trump. Reporters have said the White House will not respond to their inquiries if they include pronouns in email signatures.
In case you missed: Dana Perino on lessons learned from the White House, Fox News hosts and longtime husband
Perino remarks how different the job is now compared to then. "In January 2009 when I left the White House, I didn't have a Twitter account. I didn't have a Facebook account. There were not all of these ways to communicate, and I do think in some ways they benefit, in some ways it's harder."
For advice that Perino will share, curious minds can check out her part-memoir, part self-help book "I Wish Someone Had Told Me ... " (Fox News Books, 263 pp., out April 22). It features words from Fox News personalities like Bret Baier, Greg Gutfeld, Jesse Watters and Jeanine Pirro, plus journalist Salena Zito, novelist Patti Callahan Henry and Perino's husband, businessman Peter McMahon.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
28 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Corporate support for Pride is dwindling nationwide. In NC, it's a mixed bag
Pride Month has long been an occasion for companies and institutions to display their support for the LGBTQ+ community, whether it be for profit or for principle. It's often a trivial gesture, but it can have a meaningful impact for a community that had long been relegated to the shadows of society. But more recently, that support has waned amid a regressive political climate that has made many companies rethink their commitments to diversity, equity and inclusion. A survey conducted by the national risk management firm Gravity Research found that around 39% of companies said they would reduce their engagement around Pride Month this year. Some of the top reasons for the change were the Trump administration, conservative activists and conservative policymakers, the survey found. Major corporations, including Mastercard and Pepsi, have pulled their sponsorship of major Pride events or avoided the topic on social media. In North Carolina, the results are mixed. Take Lowe's, which is based in Mooresville. Lowe's hasn't yet acknowledged Pride Month on its social media — a marked difference from past years when it openly embraced the occasion. That's not unexpected, given that Lowe's has already announced an end to many of its DEI initiatives. Last year, the company said it would no longer participate in surveys conducted by LGBTQ+ groups and ended its support of outside events like festivals, parades and fairs. (Lowe's had previously been a longtime supporter of Charlotte's annual Pride festival.) But surprising or not, it's reflective of a growing trend away from publicly embracing the LGBTQ+ community. Charlotte-based Bank of America also has remained quiet about Pride so far. In past years, Bank of America has been vocal about celebrating the occasion on social media and honoring its LGBTQ+ employees with the hashtag #BofAPride, but that support has been absent this year. Compare that with Truist, which posted in celebration of Pride on its Facebook and Instagram accounts. For North Carolina's professional sports teams, the results are mixed, too. While the Carolina Panthers and Charlotte Hornets both celebrated the start of Pride on social media, the Carolina Hurricanes have not. In fact, the team has remained largely silent about Pride since 2023 — the Hurricanes are one of just a handful NHL teams to not acknowledge it this year — a decision that has disappointed many fans who feel a simple acknowledgment of the occasion is not too much to ask. The same goes for the state's largest cities. The city of Charlotte posted on its social media accounts at the beginning of Pride, in addition to updating its profile picture to a rainbow version of the city's crown logo. The cities of Raleigh and Greensboro, however, did not. This move toward silence comes at a time when things like Pride celebrations and flags are under attack from lawmakers across the state. Legislation has been introduced at the state level that would effectively ban the display of Pride flags in government buildings, while some counties have passed ordinances governing public events that some interpret as targeting Pride events or drag performances. Of course, a social media post is just that: a social media post. It's not going to defeat anti-LGBTQ legislation, or save gay kids from being bullied, or change the country's attitude towards transgender people — at least not on its own. From some companies, it's just a lot of empty words or glorified virtue signaling. But public support for any marginalized group can be meaningful, especially when it happens on a large scale. And when institutions cower in the face of political pressure to stay silent, they're just letting the bullies win. It makes real change all the more difficult. Ultimately, it's not the silence that is the problem. It's the fact that the silence is new — a sudden absence of the public support and acceptance that existed before. It feels like another step backward during a time when progress feels like it's constantly stuck in reverse.
Yahoo
28 minutes ago
- Yahoo
"I Voted For Trump, But I'm On Elon's Side Here" — MAGA Is Choosing Sides In Trump/Musk's Breakup, And The Reactions Are Priceless
As the whole world knows by now, former besties Donald Trump and Elon Musk have beef. This week, their bromance turned into an online feud after a string of chaotic posts slamming each other went viral, all because of differing views on Trump's "Big, Beautiful, Bill." Trump's Vice President JD Vance quickly took Trump's side on X, saying he's "proud to stand beside him." Twitter: @JDVance And followed it up with another, vouching for Trump's character. Twitter: @JDVance Former White House Chief Strategist Steve Bannon had a much more dramatic response, immediately calling for Elon Musk's deportation. "They should initiate a formal investigation of his immigration status because I am of the strong belief that he is an illegal alien, and he should be deported from the country immediately," Bannon said in a phone interview with the New York Times. Related: "We Don't Import Food": 31 Americans Who Are Just So, So Confused About Tariffs And US Trade Well, conservative voters (many who claim to have supported Trump) are not holding back their reactions to the Trump vs. Elon feud, and many, surprisingly, are team Elon. Here's what they're saying over on the r/LeopardsAteMyFace and r/Conservative subreddits: This person told Elon to "Burn it down." This MAGA voter took Elon's side, accusing Trump of being immature. Related: AOC's Viral Response About A Potential Presidential Run Has Everyone Watching, And I'm Honestly Living For It "I'm with Elon." "We all know Trump isn't that mature, unfortunately." This user said Trump and Elon need to check their "crazy big egos." This person compared Trump and Elon to "petty immature teenagers." This user claimed the feud won't be a big deal in the long run, and called it "business as usual." This user questioned if the fued was a performance. And finally, "This is how a Democrat gets elected in 2028." What are your thoughts on the Trump vs. Elon feud? Let us know in the comments below. Also in In the News: People Can't Believe This "Disgusting" Donald Trump Jr. Post About Joe Biden's Cancer Diagnosis Is Real Also in In the News: Republicans Are Calling Tim Walz "Tampon Tim," And The Backlash From Women Is Too Good Not To Share Also in In the News: JD Vance Shared The Most Bizarre Tweet Of Him Serving "Food" As Donald Trump's Housewife
Yahoo
28 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Johnson brushes off Musk campaign spending threats: ‘It doesn't concern me'
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) in an interview Friday brushed off Elon Musk's campaign spending threats in light of the tech billionaire's public fallout with President Trump, suggesting he isn't worried. The spat between Trump and Musk began with the latter's criticism of the president's legislative agenda making its way through Congress. Johnson said he built a closer relationship with the then-special government employee and that the tech mogul has been led astray regarding the 'big beautiful' spending package. 'Look, it doesn't concern me. We're going to win either way because we're going to win on our policies we're delivering for hardworking Americans and fulfilling those promises,' Johnson told Fox News's 'Jesse Watters Primetime.' 'But look, I like Elon and respect him. I mean, we became friends in all this process,' he continued. 'I've been texting with him even this week … in trying to make sure that he has accurate information about the bill. I think he has been misled about it.' Musk, who contributed hundreds of millions of dollars to assist in Trump's win in the 2024 presidential election, was the biggest donor during the White House race. Amid his recent spat with Trump, which broke out in public as the two traded insults and threats, Musk argued that without his political expenditures, Trump would have lost to former Vice President Harris, Republicans would lose the majority in the House and the GOP would have failed to flip the majority in the Senate. Trump then threatened to have all federal contracts associated with the billionaire's companies to be cut off. As the fight between the two intensified, the tech executive floated the idea of forming a third party and accused the president of being named in the late Jeffrey Epstein's files. Trump has denied close ties to the disgraced financier. Musk's opposition to the GOP megabill — which he called a 'disgusting abomination' — is largely tied to deficit spending. The billionaire argued the legislation would balloon the national debt and fails to slash enough spending. The package faces an uphill battle in the Senate. While Musk, who recently left his position as the top adviser to Trump's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), seemed open to repairing ties on Friday, the president appeared to be OK with moving on. Johnson in the interview Friday defended the spending bill and commended Trump for his handling of the squabble. 'We're going to make good on this… I like the president's attitude. You know, he is moving on. He has to,' he told the host. 'He's laser-focused on delivering for the people. And House and Senate Republicans are as well. So, we've got our hand at the wheel.' 'We're going to get this done just like we told the people,' the Speaker continued. 'And if you are a hardworking American that is struggling to take care of your family, you are going to love this legislation.' The Louisiana Republican added, 'I'm telling you, all boats are going to rise and everybody's going to be in a much better mood before we go into that midterm election in 2026.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.