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Donald Trump made an awkward remark about grabbing his press secretary while Air Force One experienced turbulence on Sunday.
The 79-year-old president, trying to steady himself during rough weather while traveling back to Washington from Mar-a-Lago, mentioned Karoline Leavitt, who was standing behind him.
“I’m looking for something to grab here. Because it’s going to get rough. I think you did this to me, you put me in a position where there’s absolutely nothing to grab,” Trump said.
- Trump made an awkward joke about grabbing press secretary Karoline Leavitt during turbulence on Air Force One.
- Leavitt, 28, laughed off Trump's remark and directed him to a curtain for support amid the rough flight.
- Trump previously made unusual comments about Leavitt's lips and appearance during public events and interviews.
Donald Trump joked about not grabbing Karoline Leavitt
Image credits: Samuel Corum/Getty Images
‘So I’m looking for something to grab. And it’s not going to be Karoline.”
Leavitt, 28, laughed, stepped back, and pointed him toward a curtain for support, while reporters continued asking about foreign policy.
He had earlier told the press gaggle to prepare for turbulence, warning, “It’s going to be very rough in about 10 minutes, so we’ll have to go a little bit quickly. They just said, very, very rough,”
It is not the first time Trump has made comments about Leavitt, who is currently expecting her second child with husband, Nicholas Riccio, 60.
HILARIOUS: *Turbulence* President Trump: “I’m looking for something to grab and it’s not going to be Karoline.”
“I’m looking for something to grab here because it’s going to get rough and I don’t seem to be in a very [good position]. I think you did this to me. You put me in a… pic.twitter.com/I5ZB3O4dYt
— RedWave Press (@RedWave_Press) January 12, 2026
After departing Israel in October following the release of hostages under the Middle East ceasefire deal, Trump fielded questions from journalists and abruptly shifted the conversation away from foreign leaders to focus on his press secretary’s appearance.
Midway through remarks that had touched on Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Trump turned to the press and asked how Leavitt was doing.
He then floated the idea of whether she should be replaced.
“How’s Karoline doing? Is she doing good?” Trump asked. “Should Karoline be replaced?”
Trump has previously mentioned Leavitt’s lips in odd comments
Image credits: Samuel Corum/Getty Images
When a reporter responded that the decision was his to make, Trump immediately dismissed the suggestion, launching instead into an unusual commentary on Leavitt’s looks and the way she speaks.
“That’s up to you, sir,” a reporter responded, to which Trump said, “It’ll never happen. That face… and those lips, they move like a machine gun, right?”
The remark echoed comments that Trump had made before.
Just two months earlier, during an appearance on Newsmax with host Rob Finnerty, he used nearly identical language while applauding Leavitt’s rise in prominence.
“She’s become a star. It’s that face. It’s that brain. It’s those lips, the way they move. They move like she’s a machine gun,” Trump said when asked for his thoughts on Leavitt.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt for Vanity Fair. pic.twitter.com/q28NW9dC88
— Pop Crave (@PopCrave) December 17, 2025
“She’s a star and she’s great. She’s a great person, actually. But she’s– I don’t think anybody has ever had a better press secretary than Karoline. She’s been amazing.”
Leavitt’s lips have not just drawn Trump’s focus, they were the center of significant attention after White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles did an interview with Vanity Fair.
The accompanying spread featured tight headshots of senior administration figures, and Leavitt’s image prompted online discussion after what appeared to be lip filler injection sites was visible.
Photographer Christopher Anderson later told The Washington Post that he was surprised by the reaction, saying he saw no reason to digitally alter the photograph.
“I didn’t put the injection sites on her. People seem to be shocked that I didn’t use Photoshop to retouch out blemishes and her injection marks,” he said. “I find it shocking that someone would expect me to retouch out those things.”
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