U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt credits her Catholic schooling for instilling pro-life values, discipline, and the importance of public service.
Leavitt, who will be the youngest White House Press Secretary in U.S. history, thanked President Trump for believing in her by naming her to the post this week. She has repeatedly stated that her fighting spirit and commitment to truth come from her family life and Catholic education.
“My upbringing is absolutely everything to me. It is why I’m a conservative, it’s why I believe, in the American dream,” Leavitt said in a 2021 interview on The Catholic Current.
My parents “worked their butts off to send me to a Catholic high school in Lawrence, Massachusetts,” she said. “Central Catholic High School was an incredible place. It taught me discipline, it brought me closer in my own relationship with God, and it also taught me the importance of public service and giving back to your community.”
Leavitt, who says she begins every day with prayer, coincidentally shared the podcast space at the time with J.D. Vance, who is a convert to Catholicism.
“Having a Catholic education really formed who I am,” she told host Father Robert McTeigue. “And I went on later to continue that Catholic education through college. I am very proud that I am the first member of my family to receive an undergraduate degree, thanks to the hard work of my parents and my family.”
“I went to Saint Anselm College in Amherst, New Hampshire, and those values of hard work, determination, were really ingrained in me from a young age,” she said.
“We went to work every single day, and you work hard, and nothing in this life is given, everything needs to be earned,” she said. “I was taught that very young, and those values were really instilled in me and ingrained in me through my Catholic education that I am so grateful for.”
Leavitt’s schooling also brought her to Rome, Italy, where she spent a semester studying abroad at John Cabot University, a connection that Italian media jumped on this week.
“My faith in God carries me through,” Leavitt said in her interview. “I wake up every day and say my prayers and ask God to give me the strength I need to power through another day,” she said, which carries over into her belief in the sanctity of human life.
“I am proudly pro-life. I truly believe this is one of the pivotal issues facing our country and our world,” she said.
“The issue of life is of the utmost importance. It is very clear in our Constitution. Without the right to life, nothing else matters,” she stated. “As a young woman I feel I am in a very unique position to really message this issue in a way that resonates with young women across our country.”
“We need to instill a culture that brings and fosters and cares for life again because unfortunately the left has really owned the messaging on this issue,” she insisted. “It is not about women’s reproductive rights. It is not about women’s health. It is about life and protecting that, period.”
“Unfortunately, our society, our culture does not view life in that way, or the issue of abortion in that way,” she said.
“This is an issue where we have the ability to change hearts and minds,” she argued. “We just need to be more vocal about it. And win that messaging war because, unfortunately, we have lost it, particularly with my generation of young women and girls.”
From Breitbart
In bocca al lupo, Karoline! (Italian way of wishing good luck).
Any person who claims to be a Christian and Catholic would have certainly have found the rude comments made towards the Canadian Prime Minister and President Zelensky to be unacceptable and an insult to the Canadian and Ukranian people. While Trump cosy up to Russian known Dictator and murderer this woman claims to be Catholic and dont think so.
Don’t ever forget that 2024 was the year that democrats brought death and assassination back to American politics. Give them nothing. It’s exactly what they have in mind for the rest of us.
Thank God Trump won.
Karoline Leavitt will be an excellent White House Press Secretary. Leavitt is wise beyond her years. She handles herself with poise under pressure and will leave her mark over the coming years in that role.
Her boss doesn’t feel the same way about prolife. Reality check.
her boss: After all it was Donald Trump when he was President the first time that appointed 3 Supreme Court justices to strike down Roe versus Wade. Let’s all pray that Donald J. Trump leads America back to God.
Fewer abortions under Democrats. You wouldn’t think so. But seems to be true. Democrats subsidize birthcontol to the impoverished. Clinton made insurance companies include this in coverage. If we’re going to call abortion murder, than if true we have no choice but to re-examine our way of thinking
Fewer abortions under Democrats. Seems to be what the research shows.Dem administrations subsidize birthcontol.Republicans cancel it. Clinton made insurance companies cover it. Obama also. If we believe abortion is murder then we need to reconsider how we think.
The white house correspondents are going to try to skewer her in the press room.
She’s ready and tougher than she looks.
Reported today: Incoming White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt expects to enter into “hostile territory” when she begins her service in the Trump administration as the president’s lead representative to the media. … “We hope there will be decorum, certainly, and we will try to instill that,” Leavitt said when asked about concerns over mistreatment from reporters. “We’re not shy of the hostile media. We’ve dealt with that now on the campaign for the past year.”
Saint Joan of Arc, pray for her.
May God bless and protect this woman and her family. May she and others influence those around them to more fully embrace Christian values, and, ultimately, the fullness of Christian faith.
She’ll be much better than the lying DEI clown who has the job now.
She will be pressured to “shade the truth”, perhaps hide “awkward” information in order to make the new administration look good. That is politics. Consenting, even by inaction, to the wrong will be a daily challenge for her.
This she must certainly know by now. I sincerely wish her the strength of her Catholic Faith when she is pressured to compromise the truth. Today’s Rosary will be prayed this for fine young lady.
Based on how things are written on this site, it seems that anyone who isn’t white or a male is a DEI choice for whatever job is being discussed. Some may not be aware that there are, in fact, millions of highly educated, experienced women and people of color in this country. There are more women in college than men, and there are about the same number of women as men in MBA schools. One wonders why people think that women and minorities can’t be qualified for high-level jobs. One also wonders why people oppose a government that includes a diverse group of employees, that is equitable to all employees and that looks like America.
DEI offices are being closed and dismantled in corporations because they lead to poor performance. DEI hucksters got rich after George Floyd died of a drug overdose. Every company jumped on the DEI bandwagon. Universities and even Catholic high schools like Mitty formed DEI positions and hired black women to run things because they were black and women, not because they were qualified. Now, several years later with experience, people realize that merit matters and the DEI stands for “didn’t earn it”, which results in poorly qualified and incapable people being promoted or hired into important positions where they cause failure.
Knowingly and willfully lying is a mortal sin. She does this everytime she holds a press conference. She needs to confess and atone before taking holy communion. As a self subscribed devout Catholic she should know this.
That article was written by Thomas D. Williams, Ph.D., former Legionaries of Christ priest. His wife is Dr. Elizabeth Lev, professor of Art History at Duquesne University. Her mother is Dr. Mary Ann Glendon, former US ambassador to the Vatican. Their marriage was witnessed by Fr. Jonathon Morris, who has been a frequent contributor to FOX NEWS.
Former Harvard Law Professor, and former U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See, Mary Ann Glendon, should have stayed home and raised her daughter with good, decent Catholic and Christian morality. Her daughter, Elizabeth Lev, a highly educated art historian, contributed articles to former Fr. Thomas Williams’ publication of his former religious order, the Legionaires of Christ, for over a decade, in Rome. The priest romanced Glendon’s daughter, and fathered a son. Later, he decided that maybe he should leave the priesthood, and take care of his son. So he got laicized, saying that he really never wanted to be a priest, anyway. Made me sick! Next, he married Glendon’s daughter. The two are highly educated, have held huge, important jobs, with lots of privileges, and are two faithless, immoral morons for the Church. How awful a situation, for their son!
Elizabeth Lev had former Fr. Thomas Williams’ son in secret, in 2005. Later, Williams decided to leave the priesthood and care for his son. Then he decided to marry the child’s mother, in 2013. He said, in an interview, that he “never wanted to be a priest, anyway.” No Christian morality. Irresponsible.
Jonathan Morris left the priesthood and married. Scandal all around in the names that you mentioned.
“… and are two faithless, immoral morons for the Church. How awful a situation, for their son!” Dear sir/madame, I agree with you that it is a sad occasion when a man leaves the priesthood to marry. A friend of mine did this very thing and yet he stands resolute as a layman to serve God and the Church. His fervor has never wavered. He did nothing improper, being laicized before marrying, and he did nothing immoral, unless you stand fast on the idea that leaving the priesthood makes one an immoral moron.
On another note: you say of Thomas Williams: “No Christian morality. Irresponsible.” Is it moronically immoral and irresponsible to care for one’s son? Is it moronically immoral and irresponsible to keep the son rather than aborting him? Is it moronically immoral and irresponsible to desire a son to have his mother in the family? Is it moronically immoral and irresponsible to leave the priesthood when, after some years serving in that capacity, one senses the need to leave to serve God better as an earthly father? Please go easy on people whom you’ve never met!
All true. Then-Fr. Jonathan Morris, who performed the marriage of his pal, ex-priest Thomas Williams, to then-U.S. Holy See Ambassador, Mary Ann Glendon’s daughter, Elizabeth Lev– the mother of Williams’ out-of-wedlock son– is also an ex-Legionaires of Christ priest, who next left his order, and became a diocesan priest of the Archdiocese of New York– and next, left the priesthood. I did not like his TV interview regarding laicization. He did mention his struggles in the priesthood, including wishing to marry. Was he too young for the challenges of an absolute, true and faithful commitment to Christ, as a priest? Or perhaps too dazzled and impressed by all his exciting extra work in TV and film? He married an ABC TV reporter, Kaitlyn Folmer, in a big, fancy wedding at St. Patrick’s Cathedral– and they had a child. A very privileged and wealthy pair, high in the public eye. At least Morris was laicized, before courting and marrying her. I always ignore former priests who left, and have lots of fame, privileges, wealth and power, and a very comfortable, cozy, easy secular life. Who has the manly courage and commitment, to fully give their life in true and faithful, lifelong service, only to Christ, through good times and bad, in sickness and in health– until death? Long ago, I recall a young Dominican priest at a then-nearby church, who, right after Vespers, showed us his breviary and a gold wedding band on the fourth finger of his left hand, telling us that this was a sign that he was “married to the Church, and to Christ.” And he meant it. He also explained to us about the large, black cappa magna, a long, cape-like religious cloak or garment, with a black hood, which Dominican friars often wear over their white habits. That is why they also got the nickname, “Blackfriars,” in Great Britain, long ago. I was quite young, and all of this was very impressive to me. He, and all of the priests who sang Vespers in the Choir Stalls that day– are all now in their graves, buried in full habits, after long lives of dedicated service to Christ and His Church.
Daniel Gallup, you just don’t get this? Why? This is about committing terrible mortal sins, irresponsibly, deliberately, deceitfully, deliberately cheating, lying, leading a “double life” for many years, betraying God, Christ, the Pope, your religious order fellow priests and superiors, your holy vows at Ordination, the public you also serve in a very high and privileged position– irresponsibly betraying a sacred trust– unrepentant— carrying on an illicit affair for many long years, with a young woman who often works for you, and is paid for her work– and you are hiding an out-of-wedlock child by her– and continuing the filthy, sinful, illicit affair! While she continues her very public, paid work for you and your religious order. Right under the noses of the Pope, the U.S. Government, and your religious superior, in Rome! And your young lover’s mother has an extremely high position, as an advisor to the Pope! She is no less than the U.S. Ambassador ti the Holy See! A huge, highly-privileged, high-profile, public responsibility to God and His Church. And you just don’t get that at all.
The religious superior in Rome of the Legionaires of Christ revealed around the time that Williams’ affair was discovered by the group giving aid to the many victims of clerical sex abuse by Legionaires of Christ priests, that he had known of former Fr. Williams’ sexual relationship with Elizabeth Lev, and that he had fathered a child by her. He said that he regretted allowing Williams to continue teaching Moral Theology to seminarians in their Roman seminary, and instructing viewers in the Christian moral life, prayer, the lives of saints, and other important related subjects, in lectures and on TV. Do as you please, no discipline, no trustworthiness, plenty of privileges– and sex abuse.
In 2010 the order was failing so badly, with sexual sins, that the Vatican had to take it over and implement reforms. I think this order may still be under Vatican control.
The religious superior in Rome of the Legionaires of Christ should have faced stiff penalties for covering up the sex abuse cases of the priests in his religious order. He covered-up the affair of then-Fr. Thomas Williams and Elizabeth Lev for about ten years, he said, including the birth of Williams’ out-of-wedlock son, a poor little boy with Down Syndrome. When the group helping victims of clerical sex abuse of Legionaires of Christ priests published the news about then-Fr. Williams’ affair and his illegitimate son, the religious superior finally was forced to admit
the cover-up on his part. He should have resigned his post and faced stiff penalties for that. Unlike the other wayward Legionaires of Christ priests, Williams was not charged with clerical sex abuse, he was charged with violating his holy vows of priestly celibacy, and fathering an out-of-wedlock child. The child was nearly ten years old when the wayward Williams’ affair and out-of-wedlock child was publicly exposed.
Dr. Elizabeth Lev has been the main guest on episodes of CATHOLIC ANSWERS LIVE several times since 2013. I looked up her profile on the “Rate my Professors” website, and is known as a tough grader. Good! The Millennials and Gen Z need a good challenge. I hope that she and Dr. Williams are raising their son in a good, moral household.
To Noteworthy– Elizabeth Lev’s son by Thomas Williams, born in 2003, has Down Syndrome. Elizabeth Lev also has two other kids (now grown) from other relationships (not marriages) before her affair with Williams, when he was a Legionaire of Christ priest. The two –Williams and Lev– proclaim to be staunch Catholics– but have never seemed particularly interested to practice and uphold (outside of lectures, classes and book-writing) Christian Morality. They really “didn’t need to get married,” as they both were very wealthy, independent, and very busy with high-profile careers– but their secret Down Syndrome “love child,” nearly age 10 when the scandal was discovered– needed a father. Dishonest. Both are extremely privileged, with very high-profile careers, yet superficial– without character development and a moral conscience, and sincere, selfless service to God and humanity. They are hedonistic, “do as they please,” and think of “me, me, me, ” and “what I want,” in regards to life and religion– and excuse all “boo-boos” they make— and go on. Not much consequences for sin, just a little humiliation, like “a little scratch.” (“So what? God still loves me. We all make “little mistakes,”we’re “human,” of course.”) These two are highly-privileged, extremely-educated, immature, immoral intellectual and cultural “aristocrats.” Morality is only an intellectual thing in a book for such people. Underneath, perhaps they are near-atheist. Sort of like then-Prince Charles and then-Camilla Parker-Bowles, cheating on their spouses, with the horrible, hedonistic, callous attitude of “so what? Do as you please.”
That’s what America should look like.
I don’t think RFK, Jr. is a good choice as HHS chief. He has no medical nor scientific training, has always believed in abortion, has controversial views on immunizations, and is confused about policies
allowing sex changes for minors. He is also in favor of legalizing marijuana and hallucinogenic drugs– a disaster, for naive, troubled young American kids– that will totally ruin their lives! Hope Pres. Trump can get a conservative, Pro Life Catholic or Evangelical nominee, with a good medical background, who can become a good HHS Secretary.
The Legionaries of Christ was founded by a perverted gay sexual predator and serial child abuser and attracted all the wrong sorts of men for all the wrong reasons. Look up Marcial Maciel. The whole society should be dissolved. The Legionaries of Christ is a wicked cult.
This is my reply to Reply to Daniel Gallup November 20, 2024 at 5:33 pm: “And you just don’t get that at all.” Unlike you, sir/madame, I have no window into the souls of the people involved. Sin was committed, to be sure, but I have no access to the priest’s soul at present. Both parties involved may well have had recourse to confession, and if so, am I still to paint their souls black, writing of villainous deeds long ago forgiven? That I leave to you.
Far too simple-minded. The Catholic Church needs to be taken to task and kicked really hard, forced to get rid of its extremely corrupt, irresponsible, sinful, selfish top leaders, who cruelly turn blind eyes and deaf ears, to the most horrific sexual sins and crimes committed by its clerics, worldwide– and ignore the poor, suffering victims. Evil cover-ups of criminal clergy, no help for poor victims of their selfish. filthy, horrific Satanic crimes. No responsibility, and no trustworthiness. Evil. Vulnerable children and young people’s lives destroyed by filthy, selfish clerical sex abuse, and abuses of power, status and privilege, worldwide. You are way too simple-minded about this. Try viewing the horrifying film, “Deliver Us From Evil.” Former Fr. Thomas Williams taught seminarians Moral Theology at a famous Roman seminary, of his religious order– his specialty was Moral Theology and Ethics– and he was a famous, high-profile TV, news and film Catholic clerical consultant, presenter and star, and a journalist and author. He was a huge Catholic clerical leader in his religious order. He gave public lectures and taught and guided thousands of people on how to lead a good Catholic spiritual and moral life, and guided them in prayer, the Sacraments, taught them about the lives of Saints, etc. He was a total fraud, all those years, sleeping with the daughter of the U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See, in Rome, who was a paid contributer to his religious order’s publication, and fathered a child by her. He went right on, keeping his mistress and fatherless child a secret, until a big group helping clerical sex abuse victims of Legionaire priests finally confronted his religious superior, forcing the superior to admit the years of evil cover-ups of sex abuse cases of Williams and his secret mistress and child, and other Legionaire priests. Williams lived and worked closely with the evil Founder of the Legionaires of Christ, whom he said he greatly admired, highly praised by the pope and Vatican leaders– the filthy, Satanic Marcial Maciel. Vatican leaders and the pope ignored the tragic pleas of the evil, Satanic Maciel’s poor victims of horrific sex abuse– seminarians and priests– and women he seduced, and children he fathered by different women he sexually abused. Williams, after being exposed for his sins, was advised to take a year off and decide what he wanted to do. He left Rome and went home to the U.S., to stay at his parents’ home. And he finally decided to leave the priesthood, request laicization of the pope, and marry his “secret” mistress, and be a decent father to his out-of-wedlock, “secret” son– nearly age ten, suffering with Down Syndrome. The Catholic Church needs a good, hard kick in the pants– and a good clean-up job.
Here is a write-up of “the great” Thomas D. Williams. Not impressed. I am much more impressed by young Catholic men like Blessed Carlo Acutis, who died of leukemia ar age 15, and Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati, who died of polio at age 24– both are soon-to-be-made-saints.
https://www.thomasdwilliams.com/about-me
Ms. Leavitt sounds like she has a well-formed conscience molded by solid Catholic teaching. Hopefully she can help her boss by not mega phoning his lies. As evidenced during his first term, he is a prolific liar.
Yeah, unlike the truthful Bidens, Harris and Emhoff.
The purple dinosaur should become red.
Please, what are the “lies” told by Trump 45 “during his first term” that you expect to continue in Trump 47?
Far too simple-minded. The Catholic Church needs to be taken to task and kicked really hard, forced to get rid of its extremely corrupt, irresponsible, sinful, selfish top leaders, who cruelly turn blind eyes and deaf ears, to the most horrific sexual sins and crimes committed by its clerics, worldwide– and ignore the poor, suffering victims. Evil cover-ups of criminal clergy, no help for poor victims of their selfish. filthy, horrific Satanic crimes. No responsibility, and no trustworthiness. Evil. Vulnerable children and young people’s lives destroyed by filthy, selfish clerical sex abuse, and abuses of power, status and privilege, worldwide. You are way too simple-minded about this.
Should this apply to politicians and political appointees as well?
Yes– I am sure you will agree. Isn’t it a horror, to see a news report of human trafficking, prostitution, or pornography, etc. that some high-profile politicians have gotten into? Then we have State Sen. Scott Wiener, who is gay, always busy making laws to promote his filthy, degenerate, immoral gay “lifestyle.” Too bad he got re-elected. He also has promoted so-called “sex work”– prostitution.
Horrible politician.
Catholic psychologist Richard Sipe estimated that only about half of all Catholic priests remain faithful, lifelong, to their vows of celibacy. Very discouraging. I think that all priests who violate their vow to God of celibacy should be immediately laicized. It is a terrible thing, for your Catholic family to have to wonder if half of all the priests in your Diocese might be out on a Friday or Saturday night, secretly violating their holy vows to God of celibacy. And then showing up for Mass the next morning. Dishonest. Horrible. I wonder if Richard Sipe was correct? Half of our priesthood is no good? Unholy? Worthless? Filthy and sinful? What should we honestly give to the Second Collection for the seminary, and the Archbishop’s Annual Appeal? And much more…
The USCCB is very concerned about a new policy being considered at HHS that may block government contracts from being given to Catholic and other hospitals and charities that do not accept transgender treatments, surgeries, and LGBT services, gay adoptions, abortions, and all other “non-discrimination”-related mandates. The HHS is demanding that no provisions be allowed for doctors, nurses, and social service employees to opt out of these immoral HHS mandates. Medicare and Medicaid funding may be withheld, placing Catholic hospitals and social services in financial trouble. The USCCB has been asking Catholics to please contact the HHS regarding this proposed policy, and request strongly that it not be implemented. The USCCB wrote an important letter to the HHS, and it is available on their website. I have been hoping that this problem may get resolved quickly with President Trunp’s new administration.
If the Catholic Faith is used as an example of her views in politics. Catholics
world wide should express the real doctrines of this faith.
May I suggest that Leavitt say more than prayers every morning. I would suggest she go to confession everyday to atone for the lies she tells and the hate she propagates.
I guess once a week or once a month Confession would be sufficient. May I ask what lies and hate does Leavett propagate?
Right now she’s on board with deporting American citizens to Salvadorean gulags. She can pretend she is just reporting Trump’s insanity, but she is totally on board with it or she would not work for him.
https://www.vanityfair.com/news/story/trump-deporting-us-citizens-el-salvador
I went to this sociopath’s HS in the late 60’s, and how she took her hypocritical “values”.and “faith” and decided to work for THIS group of psychopaths?? She is the exact opposite of the values this same HS instilled in us over a half century ago. How far the catholic faith has fallen to write this cult puff piece on this fraud…
Some questions:
1) She became engaged to her now husband and father of her child, but had their baby out of wedlock. Is this a sign of a devout Catholic woman?
2) Three days after giving birth to her son, she decided to abandon those first few precious weeks and months with her baby so she could go work for Trump. Does a good Catholic mother leave her brand new baby in the care of others to go work on a political campaign?
3) She and her husband finally married just three days before his inauguration, many months after the baby was born and she went back to work. Why not earlier?
She is not a follower of Christ. No Catholic or Christian I know would celebrate sending an innocent to a concentration camp, continue to repeat lies about him without evidence, and grin over such mistreatment all while wearing a cross prominently for the cameras. She’s as fake as Trump’s tan and she will not see heaven.
TDS on display here.
So your prolife unless you’re brown, black, gay, a democrat, or just generally don’t agree with you? I’m catholic and I was taught to love my neighbor.
To call Karoline Leavitt a Christian is an affront to tru Christians.
True Christians do not support a Fascist, lie for a fascist, cover up for a sex abusing fascist.
Karoline Leavitt will face the pearly gates and find an accounting for her lies and betrayal of all the true Christians hold dear.