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Former White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt described President Donald Trump’s approach to high-stakes diplomacy in a new interview Tuesday, recounting tense phone calls with foreign adversaries and a lunch with former British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
Speaking on the “Hang Out with Sean Hannity” podcast, Leavitt recalled how Trump spoke bluntly with foreign leaders during calls with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping, as well as with allies like Starmer.
“I sat in on a lunch with the president and Starmer. And we’re sitting around the table, and we’re all enjoying lunch. And we were in this beautiful place. And the president just starts ripping into him for his policies,” Leavitt said.
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U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping attend a welcome ceremony at the Great Hall of the People on May 14, 2026, in Beijing, China. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)
“He’s like, ‘Your policies here are so stupid. You need to close your borders,’” Leavitt added. “’You need to deport these people you have in your country. I know your country, I know your people, they hate what you’re doing.’”
Leavitt said Trump takes the same candid approach with allies and adversaries and argued that what he told the media about his conversations with foreign leaders mirrored what happened behind closed doors.
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“What he says to the media publicly is exactly what he’s saying behind the scenes privately, too. In fact, much of what he says privately at some point is going to become public when he speaks to the press, because he’s just candid, and he’s honest,” Leavitt said.
Former White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt speaks onstage during the second day of the 2026 Republican National Convention at American Airlines Center on Sept. 10, 2026, in Dallas, Texas. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
“What he says with these foreign leaders behind the scenes is exactly what he tells the media five minutes later when he does a press conference. There’s no games,” she added.
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In conversations with Putin and Xi, Leavitt described “tense” phone calls in which she witnessed the president being “very straightforward.” When asked about Trump’s language during these high-stakes moments, Leavitt said that while the president “curses a lot” in general, he keeps those specific translator-assisted calls direct and professional.
President Donald Trump and then-British Prime Minister Keir Starmer attend the NATO Summit on July 8, 2026, in Ankara, Turkey. (Alastair Grant – Pool/Getty Images)
“The president was very honest about the fentanyl coming into the country and the precursors to the fentanyl that were manufactured in China. And he brought that up as a sticking point and said, ‘You have to do something about that,’” Leavitt said of Trump’s meeting with Xi in South Korea.
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“And sure enough. You know, a couple weeks later, I think it was Kash Patel who announced that those precursors would no longer be sent here. So, you know, he demanded results on behalf of our country, and he made sure that they were delivered upon,” she added.
Leavitt said Trump also pressed China to buy more U.S. soybeans to support American farmers.
President Donald Trump, joined by then-White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, speaks to reporters before boarding Air Force One at Joint Base Andrews, Md., on Aug. 21, 2026. (Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images)
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“Sure enough after the meeting they did,” she said. “So, he’s always again advocating for what our country needs, what our people need, and he’s unequivocal about that.”
In August, Leavitt announced her decision to leave her role at the White House to spend more time with her family. She gave birth to her second child in May. Leavitt wrote about the decision in a post on X:
“Serving as the White House Press Secretary over the past year and a half has been the honor and adventure of a lifetime,” Leavitt wrote.
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“Most of all, I am thankful to the President for entrusting me with the distinct privilege of speaking on his behalf at the White House podium. I have spoken with great pride about the many historic accomplishments of this Administration, and I have relished holding the liberal media accountable and ensuring the American people hear the truth about President Trump’s successes.”