Karoline Leavitt's New Office Brings Her Closer To Trump, Busting Those Breakup Rumors

Amid the government shutdown, Karoline Leavitt is keeping busy. The White House press secretary gave her dated style a spicy upgrade at a press conference, and now she's upgrading her office space. Among its enviable features, the biggest flex is that Leavitt's new digs will make it easier for her to chat with Donald Trump. The space formerly belonged to former Deputy Chief of Staff Taylor Budowich, who's taking a new job elsewhere. Budowich worked in communications for Trump's administration and was held in high esteem, so that's likely the reason he was given this coveted office in the first place.

As press secretary, Leavitt's in a stressful, very public role, so any mistakes are highly visible. After some speaking missteps in summer 2025, some wondered if a breakup between Leavitt and Trump was eminent. Now that Leavitt's been chosen to take over this high-status locale, it seems that she and her boss are tighter than ever. However, according to CBS News, many of Leavitt's predecessors started out in this room. 

Trump initially received some pushback for hiring Leavitt. "He's spoken publicly about it. How many people told him that I was too young to have this position," Leavitt recalled to "The Signal Sitdown" in March 2025. "And he told me, 'You're not.'" Trump was resolute, telling Leavitt he was even younger when he was began his real estate career. Even so, Budowich might have had an edge on Leavitt in terms of popularity. "He is universally admired and respected," Stephen Miller, one of Trump's senior advisers, gushed in a statement (via Fox News). "No matter the issue or need, his insights and talents are sought after and valued deeply."

In April 2025, Karoline Leavitt gave podcaster and interviewer Kate Mackz a tour of her soon-to-be old office space for Mackz's Instagram page. She pointed out the tiny desk where she worked as assistant press secretary, the computer crammed between a large printer and overhead cabinetry, on the way to her then-current office. In contrast, Leavitt's new office is over twice as large as her former one. That extra space will give the press secretary plenty of room to spread out her collection of Donald Trump-related décor. Leavitt's tour with Mackz revealed a prominent photo of the president, and a curio cabinet with MAGA hats behind glass. Leavitt's Trump obsessions go even deeper, since her old space also included a cutout of her and her boss very close to her computer.

In her new office, Leavitt's got an extra door which leads directly down a hallway to the Oval Office. That door will help Leavitt get to the briefing room more quickly, which could be why press secretaries frequently use this space. The closeness to Trump could give Leavitt an opportunity to bend his ear about a briefing room makeover, since she told Mackz she thinks it's lacking in square footage.

On social media, however, people saw the move as another opportunity to side-eye Leavitt's and Trump's cozy relationship. " ... she's clearly given up her Mom duties to pander to the big orange baby," snarked one user on X. "Her head will get even bigger now that she has this prime office space," remarked a Facebook poster.