What White House Spokesperson Karoline Leavitt Said After Her Dismissal

White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt left her position by decision of US President Donald Trump, five days after her appointment, following criticism of her performance and controversy over her professional qualifications. In the attached video, you can see Karoline Leavitt speaking with journalists at the White House, just hours before her dismissal.

Here are the details and behind-the-scenes accounts of Trump's decision to dismiss her; while preparing for a seven-hour flight this week, US President Donald Trump showed no sign that anything was wrong.

Karoline Leavitt's stumbling first appearance as White House spokesperson, which lasted 14 minutes on the podium, was met with extremely negative criticism. An hour later, she gave a confusing answer when asked where she had passed the bar exam. Trump's own advisors followed all of this with some shock.

She limited herself to taking questions from three news organizations, all considered pro-Trump, and stumbled in providing some answers, once mistakenly referring to the President as her husband.

However, according to a source familiar with the conversation who spoke to CNN, Trump told Karoline Leavitt during the flight to Alaska that her performance was good. It was her first trip aboard Air Force One.

After three days of intense scrutiny, Leavitt was dismissed from her position, ending what is remembered as the shortest tenure for a White House spokesperson in modern memory. Plans for her and her family's relocation from California to the East Coast were also suspended.

Many of Trump's advisors described the entire affair as a complete failure. Trump said after her dismissal: "I asked her: Is this job right for you, Karoline? Because frankly, you don't need this."

In a statement commenting on the matter, White House Communications Director Steven Cheung said: "All these rapid speculations are nothing more than speculation, akin to fictional stories lacking even creativity. The truth is that Karoline took on a very important task and will continue to support the President as she transitions into a new role. She is a wonderful colleague with immense talent."

In a post on the X platform, Leavitt said working for Trump was an "honor." She wrote: "I wish more Americans appreciated him. No one will ever be able to make America great the way he did, and continues to do so."

Did she study law in China? Earlier, a US watchdog group filed a complaint with the State Bar of California demanding an investigation into whether Leavitt violated the law by presenting herself as a lawyer despite not holding a license to practice.

The organization "Campaign for Accountability" stated that Leavitt presented herself as a lawyer during television appearances and identified herself as the general legal counsel for a conservative non-profit organization based in California.

Michelle Coppersmith, the executive director of the group, said: "Leavitt repeatedly presented herself as a lawyer to enhance her reputation and credibility," adding: "The bar association should investigate whether Leavitt misled the public regarding her qualifications."

Trump described Leavitt as a "lawyer" when announcing her appointment on Friday, but journalists found no record indicating she held a license to practice law in any US state.

The White House spokesperson told AFP: "She practiced international transactional law, meeting all necessary qualifications," without clarifying whether she held a license to practice law in the United States.

She did not specify where she was admitted to practice law, if at all. In response to journalists' question on Tuesday about where she passed the bar exam, she answered: "When I moved to China."

For its part, the State Bar of California confirmed to US media outlets that there is no record of Leavitt obtaining a license to practice law, either under her married name or her maiden name.

Leavitt, aged 41, graduated from Pepperdine University School of Law in 2011, but obtaining a law degree does not automatically qualify a person to practice law.

Foreigners are not permitted to take the bar exam in China, although they can perform specific legal work in Chinese law firms. Leavitt previously worked at a law firm in Beijing, according to her professional profile.