Former White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt has offered California’s Democratic leaders a pointed suggestion: Work with President Donald Trump, and the state might “look a lot better.”
Leavitt, who left her position in August, made the remarks Friday night during an appearance on “Real Time with Bill Maher,” where she discussed Trump and life after leaving the White House.
During the conversation, Leavitt took aim at California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, both of whom have made opposition to Trump a central part of their political platforms.
“I don’t worry about our president. He loves our country very much and he wants to make it right,” Leavitt told Maher. “He has said — you’ve heard him say this — I will work with Democrats to do what’s best.”
Leavitt then pointed to Washington, D.C., saying its mayor had worked with Trump.
“Cleaned up the homelessness, cleaned up the crime, the city is beautiful. I’ve lived there the past two years,” she said. Maher replied, “You’re right.”
“Maybe your governor should call, maybe your mayor here should call, and California would look a lot better,” Leavitt added.
The California Post contacted the offices of Newsom and Bass for comment.
Newsom adviser Izzy Gardon criticized Leavitt’s remarks in a post on X.
“Gavin Newsom spent 90 minutes in the Oval Office with Donald Trump. Trump responded by illegally seizing control of California’s National Guard and deploying 4,700 troops to Los Angeles,” Gardon wrote.
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Gardon was referring to Newsom’s February 2025 meeting with Trump at the White House, where the governor sought federal disaster relief and recovery assistance after devastating wildfires in Los Angeles County.
In June, Trump federalized more than 4,000 California National Guard troops without Newsom’s consent.
In the immediate aftermath of the wildfires, Newsom had said he wanted to extend an “open hand, not a closed fist” to Trump. His tone shifted sharply after the National Guard action, which Trump ordered in response to protests over federal immigration enforcement.
Since then, Newsom has repeatedly said that “playing nice” with Trump is not a workable strategy.
In a March 2026 interview, Newsom said, “You can’t work with him, you can only work for him, and everybody ultimately learns that lesson.”
The conflict between Newsom and Trump has intensified this year after the governor disclosed that Trump’s Department of Justice was investigating him and his wife over tax returns and other matters.
Leavitt’s appearance with Maher came after the host faced criticism from the left over a dinner he had with Trump.
