Laura Ingraham’s career as a Fox News host is not blemish-free. She has made several on-air blunders that will be remembered forever. However, she narrowly missed a chance to work with President Donald Trump during his first term, and given how things have turned out, Ingraham should probably remain thankful for her luck.
Back in 2016, when Trump was preparing for his transition from reality TV to the US presidency, he was assembling names for his first cabinet. Among the various names suggested for his first Press Secretary, Ingraham was one of the candidates.
Choosing Ingraham as a potential pick made sense. Not only was she a vocal supporter of Trump in the media space, but she also had experience in legal matters and interviewing.
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Ingraham herself was quite excited about the opportunity, as she said in an interview, “I have known Donald Trump for a long time, and we have been friends for a long time. And I am looking forward to that conversation. It is a great privilege to even be considered,” as Politico reported.
However, while Ingraham was certainly qualified for the job, she reportedly didn’t want to serve merely as the administration’s spokesperson. With her background in law and political communications, she wanted a more strategic role that would involve policy discussions and decision-making.
Her expectations did not align with Trump’s idea of a Press Secretary, and thus, the President chose Sean Spicer instead of Ingraham. The rejection might have felt bad initially, but looking at how there were four Press Secretaries during Trump’s first term, Ingraham might feel lucky that she missed out on the role and continued her journalistic career.
Not only did Trump change his press secretaries four times during his first term, his professional relationship with them did not end smoothly either. For instance, Trump’s final Press Secretary during his first term, Kayleigh McEnany, later spoke about the ways the President could improve his poll numbers in the next run.
BREAKING: Laura Ingraham presses President Trump on H-1B visas:
Trump: You have to bring in talent.
Ingraham: We have plenty of talented people here.
Trump: No you don’t. pic.twitter.com/E7bZ5PmVbV
— Leading Report (@LeadingReport) November 12, 2025
Trump, however, did not appear to be a fan of this unsolicited advice and took to Truth Social to blast McEnany. He named her “Milktoast” and posted on the platform, “I don’t need any advice from RINO Kayleigh McEnany on Fox.”
Ingraham, on the other hand, having avoided Trump’s cabinet as an active and working member, continues her career as a journalist and still gets the opportunity to question the President on air. In an early November interview this year, Ingraham asked Trump about the economy, saying, “Why are people saying they’re worried about the economy?” Trump’s only response was, “Polls are fake.”
It is well known that Trump has been boasting about the American economy reaching heights, though the real picture tells something different. Ingraham could only push and ask him a question on that matter because she does not have a direct working history with the President. Had she served as the first Press Secretary of Trump, she might not have this journalistic freedom she has today.
