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Leaked Video Shows What Appears To Be A Tense Exchange Between Trump And Karoline Leavitt Amid Departure Announcement

That was hardly a cozy ride

610
610 points

There’s a theory forming online that links a decoy flight out of Turkey last month to a resignation letter that went out Wednesday morning.

Start with Turkey. Reporting confirmed by the Washington Post, New York Times and CNN revealed that Trump slipped out of the NATO summit in Ankara through a catering vehicle after intelligence officials flagged a credible threat against his plane. He moved to a separate military aircraft.

The plane most of his staff and the traveling press believed he was still on kept flying anyway, a decoy, with Leavitt reportedly among the people left aboard it, unaware Trump wasn’t actually there.

That detail resurfaced fast once Leavitt’s resignation broke.

Commentator Brian Krassenstein tied the two together, writing that she’d quit “24 hours after she found out that Trump left her for dead on a plane he thought could be shot out of the sky.”

Someone else went further: “I’m sure it’s just a coincidence that Karoline Leavitt resigned as White House press secretary after being an unwitting decoy on Air Force One.”

The Marine One video surfaced next.

Filmed the night before her announcement, footage began circulating showing Leavitt seated with her arms crossed, across from Trump aide Natalie Harp, with Trump next to Harp.

X user Call to Activism posted it with a question attached. “In a LEAKED video from last night, she looks visibly isolated during a tense Marine One exchange with Trump and another woman. Hours later, she’s out. Is the WH covering up something?” In the clip, Leavitt yawns, checks her phone, and at one point gestures toward Harp mid-conversation.

The Mirror US ran the footage past body language expert Judi James.

James flagged the obvious caveat first. “A lot depends on any perspective distortion in this clip,” she said, noting Trump’s hand near his ear suggested he was likely on a phone call rather than tuned out of the room. She read Leavitt’s mood as “boredom, with some subliminal unease signals added,” pointing to pursed lips and a brief exchange with Harp, who she said “does appear to be working and more tuned into the job” by comparison.

James also noted a couple of smaller tells, Leavitt scratching her shoulder, rubbing her arm, what looked like a sigh. “This does hint at a changed professional and emotional state here,” she said, though she was careful to add: “There’s no obvious signals of any animosity between the women here.”

Leavitt gave a much simpler explanation herself.

“The truth is since returning to the White House after the birth of my daughter, I have felt in my heart that I cannot be the best mom my two young children deserve while devoting the constant time, energy, and attention required of the White House Press Secretary,” she wrote, calling it “the bittersweet decision to depart the White House and embark on a new chapter in my life.” Trump backed the framing publicly, saying he “totally understand[s] and respect[s]” her choice and that she’d remain one of his “top outside advisors.”

Featured image via X screengrab

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Terry Lawson

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Terry is an editor and political writer based in Alabama. Over the last five years, he’s worked behind the scenes as a ghostwriter for a range of companies, helping shape voices and tell stories that connect. Now at Political Tribune, he writes sharp political pieces and edits with a close eye on clarity and tone. Terry’s work is driven by strong storytelling, attention to detail, and a clear sense of purpose. He’s skilled in writing, editing, and project management — and always focused on getting the message right. You can find him on X at https://x.com/TerryNotTrump.

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