Fox News captured a light yet awkward scene at the White House this week when President Donald Trump jokingly begged his press secretary not to “abandon” him after Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orbán interrupted their meeting to offer her a position in his own government.
Trump was seated beside Orbán during a bilateral luncheon in the Cabinet Room when he called out for White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt. He wanted her to weigh in on a question about affordability. Only then did he realize she had momentarily stepped away.
The 47th president appeared ready to confront a reporter he accused of asking a “fake, disgusting” question about affordability in America. He described it as the spread of misinformation. “In fact, I’d like to ask Karoline. I’d like to ask Karoline a question. Where is she?” Trump said, glancing around the room.
NEW: Hungarian Prime Minister Orbán interrupts President Trump, joking that he wants White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt to work for him in Hungary after she addresses the press during a bilateral lunch.
“Please don’t leave us Karoline.” pic.twitter.com/01TfClUupH
— Fox News (@FoxNews) November 7, 2025
When no one answered, he chuckled and said, “Did she, uh oh, she deserted us. She deserted me. Our great Karoline superstar deserted me,” according to the Mirror US. Moments later, Leavitt—who had been standing just outside the room—returned to the president’s side. Taking her place beside Trump, she launched into a defense of his record.
“The reason I don’t want to talk about affordability is because everybody knows that it’s far less expensive under Trump than it was under sleepy Joe Biden, and the prices are way down,” Leavitt said. She has always been known for her quick and sharp exchanges with reporters. She added, “Affordability is what the American people elected this president to do, and he is doing it.
“He signed the largest middle-class tax cut in six months,” she continued, before criticizing the media for refusing to acknowledge economic improvements. Leavitt argued that Trump took office during “the worst inflation crisis in modern American history” and had been “working on affordability every day.”
Trump watched proudly as she spoke. He told the group afterward, “That’s what I’m talking about right now.” The president has often praised Leavitt, 28, who became the youngest person ever to serve as White House press secretary. He frequently calls her a “superstar” and once described her fast-paced delivery at the briefing room podium as “machine gun lips.”
🚨 BREAKING: Karoline Leavitt just DESTROYED a reporter so badly that even Hungary’s PM Orban asked Trump if he could hire her 🤣
“Please don’t leave us, Karoline!”
She’s got that MAGA fire the media will never recover from. pic.twitter.com/CT2fEIuyPc
— ⁿᵉʷˢ Barron Trump 🇺🇸 (@BarronTNews_) November 7, 2025
But this time, it was Orbán who stole the moment. The Hungarian leader turned to Trump and said he wanted to recruit Leavitt for his administration in Budapest. “Sure,” Trump replied, laughing as the room broke into laughter. “Karoline, the prime minister would like for you to work for him in Hungary.”
Orbán encouraged her to “consider it.” It prompted Trump to respond dramatically, “Please don’t leave us, Karoline.” Beyond the light exchange, the two leaders also discussed more serious matters. Orbán urged Trump to exempt Budapest from sanctions targeting two Russian oil companies, calling the penalties a “mistake.”
Trump agreed that Hungary shouldn’t face secondary sanctions for buying oil from Russia, unlike other European countries. He argued that it was “very difficult” for Hungary to “get the oil and gas from other areas.”
