Say what you will about Karoline Leavitt and her support for President Donald Trump, but you can’t say she is a fair weather supporter. In a clip that surfaced on TikTok, a fresh-faced 18-year-old Leavitt meets Trump near her school and asks him a question about his policies. It’s a clip that shows her early support for the man who would go on to win two presidential elections, and it proves that she has always had her eye on the prize. The prize being the role of press secretary, of course.
The clip shows Leavitt as one of the students chosen to ask Trump a question during a 2015 town hall meeting ahead of the 2016 election. She asks him a question about his kindness as a person rather than a president, but her question also includes a compliment for the then-candidate.
Now, critics of both Trump and Leavitt are quick to criticize her for what some see as early indoctrination.
Apparently, Karoline Leavitt was a Trump ‘stan’ for years.
@makeamericakindagain.1 Karoline’s been ride-or-die since high school #karolineleavitt #trump #usa #fdt #news #politics ♬ original sound – MakeAmericaKindAgain
In the clip, the man in charge of the town hall brings Leavitt to a microphone. He jokes that she has a Spanish class to get to at her college nearby, so she wanted to get her question in.
“Mr. Trump, as everyone knows, and as I personally appreciate, you’re very honest and outspoken about a lot of different things,” she says, all smiles. “As my father would say, you call a spade a spade. However, many people criticize you for this, saying that you’re merciless, ruthless, cold-hearted. What would you like to say to people who think you’re too harsh to be the next president of the United States?”
Trump says Leavitt asked him a “great question.” He then goes on to claim that he is a nice person despite what some might think of him from afar. Of course, Trump’s answer to Leavitt’s question isn’t really what people are talking about. Instead, it’s the fact that an 18-year-old Leavitt seemed to already fully support Trump well before she began working for him.
In the TikTok video that shows this clip, text on the screen says that Leavitt “went full cult” in reference to those who support Trump’s Make America Great Again slogan.
In the caption, the user wrote, “Karoline’s been ride-or-die since high school.” Judging by the video, they aren’t wrong. The comments under the video show how many people agree with that sentiment, as well as the “cult” one.
“These people are being trained and prepared by The Heritage Foundation,” one user commented. “She’s married to someone in a high position.” That comment is in reference to The Heritage Foundation‘s dedicated to right-wing changes to the US government. Leavitt’s husband, Nicholas Riccio, is rumored to be a trustee for The Heritage Foundation.
“My bet is this is where they targeted her,” someone else commented. “Thought she had that MAGA it factor and groomed her. Married her off to the highest bidder and told her one day she would be part of Trump’s cabinet.”
Leavitt became the assistant press secretary five years later when she was 23. After that, she moved on to become Trump’s top press secretary. According to some, though, she might have been on a path to the White House even before she left college.
