Karoline Leavitt, former press secretary for President Donald Trump, offered some advice to California’s Democratic leaders: collaborate with the president, and perhaps the state “might improve.”
Leavitt made an appearance on “Real Time with Bill Maher” on Friday to share her thoughts about the president and her experiences after leaving her position in August.
During the discussion, she took a shot at Governor Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, both of whom have prominently opposed Trump.
“I don’t worry about our president. He deeply cares about this country and wants to make things right,” she expressed to Maher. “He’s said multiple times that he’s willing to work with Democrats for the greater good.”
She then mentioned the collaboration between Trump and the mayor of Washington, DC.
“They managed to clean up homelessness and crime, and the city is now beautiful. I’ve lived there for two years,” she said, prompting Maher to agree.
“Maybe Newsom should reach out, or perhaps Bass could make a call, and California could really improve,” Leavitt suggested.
The California Post sought responses from the offices of Newsom and Bass.
Newsom’s advisor, Izzy Gardon, responded harshly to Leavitt’s comments on social media, recalling a past encounter. “Gavin Newsom spent 90 minutes in the Oval Office with Donald Trump. Trump’s reaction was to illegally take control of California’s National Guard and deploy troops to Los Angeles,” Gardon stated, referencing a meeting held in February 2025 regarding federal disaster relief for the Los Angeles County wildfires.
In the following month, Trump federalized over 4,000 National Guard troops without Newsom’s permission, a move that strained the relationship between the two. Initially, Newsom had hoped to foster a cooperative relationship with Trump, but that changed dramatically after the National Guard incident, which Trump used in response to immigration protests.
Newsom has publicly remarked multiple times that being cooperative with Trump isn’t feasible.
In a March 2026 interview, he expressed, “You can’t work with him; you can only work for him, and everyone learns that lesson eventually.”
The tension has heightened recently, particularly after it was revealed that Trump’s Department of Justice has been investigating Newsom and his wife concerning tax issues and other matters.
Leavitt’s remarks on Maher’s show follow a controversial dinner that Maher had with Trump, which sparked criticism from some groups.
