President Donald Trump’s former press secretary Karoline Leavitt stepped back behind a podium, but was literally left in the dark as she began her speech at the GOP’s unusual midterm convention.
Leavitt came onto the stage in Dallas Thursday night after a highlight reel of her pushing back against reporters in the briefing room played. As the crowd cheered, just a silhouette of Leavitt appeared behind the podium as the spotlight meant to shine on the former press secretary remained off.
After a few seconds passed, the lights turned on Leavitt and she could be seen smiling from ear to ear.
“It feels good to be back behind a podium,” she told the crowd. “It feels much better speaking to a stadium full of patriots than a briefing room full of journalists.”
Leavitt touted the Trump administration’s accomplishments, including closing the southern border and signing a massive tax bill, calling it an “honor of a lifetime” working for him.
“President Trump only has two more years of being the leader of our great nation, and God bless him. But he needs your support to vote for Republicans up and down the ballot so he can continue his efforts to make America great again,” Leavitt said to conclude her brief speech.
open image in galleryLeavitt left the White House at the end of August to spend more time with her young family.
Her decision, announced in early August, came months after she returned from maternity leave following the birth of her second child in May.
Trump and his team have yet to pick Leavitt’s replacement, with names such as Scott Jennings, a conservative commentator for CNN, and White House Principal Deputy Press Secretary Anna Kelly being floated.
Vice President JD Vance filled in for a White House press briefing on September 3.
open image in galleryThe Republican convention, which has seen the likes of Trump, Vance and other members of his administration, is meant to boost GOP candidates’ election chances and keep the party in control of the House and Senate while the president’s own approval rate sinks.
But a significant number of GOP candidates and lawmakers planned to skip the two-day convention because of prior commitments like fundraisers and weddings or objections to steep ticket prices that reportedly have reached the five-figure mark, according to a Politico article published earlier this month.
The president gave a keynote speech during the first night of the convention Wednesday, during which he made a controversial promise to pay a $5,000 “Trump Dividend” to each American adult if voters help keep the Republican Party in power.
Trump will speak later Thursday to close out the convention.