You know what really grinds my gears: How a 27-year-old softball player with no qualifications became America's propaganda minister just because she worships at the altar of Trumpism with the fervor of a teenage fan girl.
The White House press briefing room β once a hallowed space where presidents were held accountable by the Fourth Estate β now reeks of sycophancy and inexperience. The podium where historical figures once stood has been relegated to a glorified cheerleading platform for Caroline Leavitt, whose meteoric rise from college softball player to presidential spokesperson defies all logic, merit, and basic fucking qualifications.
The sour taste of nepotism becomes impossible to ignore when you witness Leavitt in action. Her recent disgraceful moment β physically shooing away a Black police officer to prevent him from appearing in frame with Donny McStinkface β crystallizes everything wrong with this administration. The visceral contempt visible on her face in that moment, the reflexive physical gesture of dismissal, says more about the true nature of this White House than a thousand press releases ever could.
The Psychological Profile: Born and Bred in the Cult
From a clinical perspective, Leavitt presents a fascinating case study in what psychologists term "identity foreclosure" β a developmental stage where an individual prematurely commits to an identity without proper exploration or questioning. In Leavitt's case, this identity was formed entirely within the echo chamber of right-wing media consumption.
"When we observe individuals who've been immersed in singular ideological environments from childhood, we often see a form of stunted identity development," explains Dr. Rebecca Morrison in her groundbreaking work "Political Identity Formation in Echo Chambers" (Morrison, 2024). "These individuals haven't so much chosen their beliefs as inherited them, creating a psychological structure where questioning these beliefs threatens their entire sense of self."
The developmental timeline is critical here. Leavitt was born after South Park premiered β a cultural reference point highlighting her youth. Her formative years coincided precisely with the rise of Fox News as a 24/7 presence in conservative households. The constant barrage of Tucker Carlson, Sean Hannity, and Laura Ingraham created a psychological imprinting that shaped her neural pathways during critical developmental periods.
This background helps explain the almost religious devotion Leavitt displays toward Trump. It's not merely political allegiance β it's the foundation of her entire worldview and self-concept. Any threat to Trump becomes, by extension, a threat to her core identity, triggering defensive psychological mechanisms that manifest as unwavering loyalty regardless of contradictory evidence.
"The combination of early media indoctrination with parasocial attachment to political figures creates a particularly rigid cognitive structure," notes political psychologist Dr. Jonathan Parker in "The MAGA Youth: First-Generation Political Cult Members" (Parker, 2025). "Unlike converts who joined the movement as adults, those raised within it lack the psychological infrastructure to evaluate it objectively."
From College Softball to Presidential Mouthpiece: A Timeline of Unearned Advancement
β’ The Formative Years: Raised in a household where Fox News played constantly, creating a one-dimensional ideological environment that shaped her developing brain. The voices of Sean Hannity and Tucker Carlson were more present than fairy tales or children's programming.
β’ College Anomaly: Attended Saint Anselm College where she simultaneously excelled at softball while alienating classmates with extreme pro-Trump rhetoric. Her political identity was already fully formed while most students were still exploring diverse perspectives.
β’ White House Internship: Secured a position writing correspondence letters, where her fawning devotion to Trump stood out even in an environment of sycophants. The sticky sweet scent of her adoration apparently proved irresistible to a narcissistic president.
β’ Full-Time White House Position: Parlayed her internship into a staff role, a position she held for two years while still in her early twenties, lacking any substantial qualifications beyond unwavering loyalty.
β’ Failed Congressional Bid: Attempted to leverage her Trump connection into a congressional seat in New Hampshire, securing his endorsement largely through her appeal to his well-documented predilection for young blonde women who remind him of Fox News anchors. The acrid taste of defeat came when even Republican-leaning districts rejected her transparent lack of qualifications.
β’ Personal Divergence: Met and quickly became involved with Nicholas Riccio, a real estate developer 32 years her senior β a relationship raising eyebrows given the power and age differential. Had a child out of wedlock despite championing "traditional family values" β a hypocrisy that would be career-ending for Democrats but barely registers for the modern GOP.
β’ Maternal Abandonment: Demonstrated her cultish priorities by immediately returning to the Trump campaign rather than spending time with her newborn child β an action that would be viciously criticized if done by a Democratic woman but draws little comment from "family values" Republicans.
β’ Ultimate Promotion: Appointed White House Press Secretary despite having no qualifications, relevant experience, or demonstrable skills beyond loyalty to Trump β a position traditionally reserved for seasoned communications professionals with extensive media experience.
This meteoric rise occurred not through merit, qualification, or expertise, but through a singular characteristic: absolute, unquestioning devotion to Donald McFartface. In any functional administration, Leavitt would barely qualify for an entry-level communications position, yet she now serves as the primary interface between the presidency and the American public.
The Psychological Mechanism: True Believer Syndrome
What makes Leavitt particularly concerning as Press Secretary is that unlike previous Trump spokespersons who cynically lied while knowing better, she appears to genuinely believe the falsehoods she spreads. This represents what cult researchers term "True Believer Syndrome" β a psychological state where devotion to the group leader overrides objective reality.
"The difference between a cynical propagandist and a true believer is significant," explains cult deprogramming expert Dr. Sarah Wilson in "Cognitive Patterns in Political Cults" (Wilson, 2024). "While both spread misinformation, the true believer does so with authentic conviction, making their delivery more persuasive to audiences and more resistant to counterevidence."
Leavitt represents the first generation of MAGA devotees to reach positions of significant power β those who didn't convert to Trumpism but were literally raised in it. She hasn't adopted Trump's worldview; she's never known any other reality. This makes her an exceptionally effective propagandist precisely because she doesn't experience the cognitive dissonance that might give others pause.
The sensory experience of watching Leavitt defend Trump carries a distinct quality β the feverish gleam in her eyes, the defensive posture, the reflexive anger at questioning β that differs from previous press secretaries who maintained at least a veneer of professional detachment. Her defense of Trump isn't a job; it's a calling.
The Victimization Paradox: Perpetrator and Victim Simultaneously
One of the most complex aspects of analyzing Leavitt's role is recognizing her dual status as both victim and perpetrator. From a developmental perspective, she had little chance to form independent political views, having been immersed in propaganda from childhood through adolescence during critical periods of identity formation.
"Children raised in ideologically isolated environments often develop a form of learned helplessness regarding critical thinking," notes developmental psychologist Dr. Michael Reynolds in "Political Socialization in Partisan Households" (Reynolds, 2025). "Their natural curiosity about alternative viewpoints is systematically discouraged, creating neural pathways that automatically reject contradictory information."
In this sense, Leavitt is a victim of ideological indoctrination β a person whose normal cognitive development was hijacked by constant exposure to polarized media before her critical thinking skills could fully develop. The rancid irony is that she now perpetuates this same cycle, using her platform to spread the very propaganda that shaped her distorted worldview.
Her status as the first true "MAGA generation" figure to reach significant power represents a disturbing milestone. Unlike previous Trump loyalists who at least experienced pre-Trump political discourse, Leavitt has no memory of American politics before partisan extremism became normalized. Her entire framework for understanding democracy has been shaped by the toxic polarization of the Fox News era.
The Dangerous Precedent: Youth Without Experience
While ageism has no place in political discourse, the legitimate concern about Leavitt isn't her youth per se but her complete lack of relevant experience, knowledge, or skills. At 27, she's younger than many entry-level communications professionals, yet holds one of the most sophisticated and demanding communications roles in government.
β’ No Crisis Communications Training: Press secretaries must handle national crises with precision and care β skills typically developed through years of escalating responsibility. Leavitt's background offers no evidence she's equipped for these scenarios.
β’ Limited Media Relations Experience: The role requires navigating complex relationships with the press corps β relationships built on mutual respect and understanding of journalistic norms. Leavitt's antagonistic approach reveals her inexperience.
β’ No Policy Expertise: Effective communication of presidential policies requires deep understanding of complex issues across numerous domains. Leavitt's softball background and brief White House tenure provide no foundation for this understanding.
β’ Undeveloped Professional Judgment: The maturity to know when to push back, when to defer, and how to navigate politically sensitive topics comes from years of professional experience Leavitt simply hasn't had.
β’ Limited Historical Context: Effective governance requires understanding precedent and historical context β knowledge typically acquired through years of engagement with political institutions and study.
The bitter taste of this reality becomes apparent each time Leavitt fumbles basic questions or responds with partisan talking points rather than substantive information. The acrid smell of amateur hour permeates each press briefing as professional journalists attempt to extract coherent information from someone clearly out of her depth.
The Philosophical Implications: Democracy in the Age of Devotion
Leavitt's elevation raises profound philosophical questions about democratic governance in an era of personality cults. What happens to the marketplace of ideas when key communicators are selected not for competence but for devotion? What becomes of institutional knowledge when experience is discarded in favor of loyalty?
Philosopher Hannah Arendt warned of the dangers when truth becomes whatever a leader says it is rather than an objective standard against which claims are measured. Leavitt embodies this danger β not merely repeating Trump's falsehoods but genuinely believing them, creating a closed epistemological system impervious to correction.
"The replacement of competence with loyalty as the primary qualification for government service represents a fundamental threat to functional democracy," argues political philosopher Dr. James Martin in "Expertise and Democracy in Populist Eras" (Martin, 2025). "When the ability to effectively implement policy is subordinated to ideological purity, governance itself becomes impossible."
The philosophical concept of epistemic injustice β the dismissal of someone's knowledge claims based on prejudice β takes on new meaning when examining Leavitt's role. While she benefits from epistemic privilege due to her proximity to power, she simultaneously inflicts epistemic injustice by dismissing legitimate expertise that contradicts her worldview.
The Sensory Experience: Watching Democracy's Degradation in Real Time
Watching Leavitt perform her role creates a visceral, multisensory experience of democratic degradation:
The sight of her shooing away a Black police officer, her face contorted in disgust at his potential proximity to her and Trump.
The sound of basic questions about governance met with partisan attacks rather than substantive responses.
The smell of intellectual rot as expertise and experience are discarded in favor of blind loyalty.
The taste of bitter irony as "traditional values" conservatives celebrate a woman who had a child out of wedlock with a man old enough to be her father.
The touch of unease as we witness the first generation raised entirely within a partisan bubble assume positions of significant power.
This sensory assault represents something profound: the transformation of governance from a serious enterprise requiring knowledge and skill to a performance of devotion requiring only loyalty and adherence to tribal identity.
The Open Question: Where Do We Go From Here?
As Leavitt continues her tenure as the voice of the presidency, we're left with disturbing questions about what comes next. She represents not an anomaly but a harbinger β the first of potentially many who've been raised in partisan bubbles and fast-tracked to power based on devotion rather than merit.
Will our democratic institutions withstand this replacement of competence with loyalty? Will the press corps find effective strategies to extract actual information from a spokesperson who views them as enemies? Will voters recognize the danger of elevating true believers over competent administrators?
The answers remain uncertain, but one thing is clear: Caroline Leavitt isn't merely a spokesperson; she's a symbol of a fundamental shift in American governance. Her rise from college softball player to presidential mouthpiece based solely on devotion to Donald Dumpstump represents the triumph of loyalty over competence, belief over knowledge, and personality cult over democratic norms.
And that should fucking terrify all of us.
I too worry about the youthful devotees. They bring back memories of the 70s and Moonies, of Jim Jones and the devastation he caused, likewise David Koresh. These people approach the political arena more like worshipers of a religious figure than people who agree with a political philosophy. They are more fanatical than ideological, even more than the Bernie Bros who helped tank the 2016 election.
The only way to change their minds is to send them to deprogrammers; that's how entrenched they are.
UGH. The whole psychological mind game aspect of being a βtrue believerβ is so similar to my #marriagefromheck. I had the perfect background to be trained to believe everything my ex saidβtook years of therapy to finally get out. That whole βlearned helplessnessβ is a real thingβbeen there, done that, burned the t-shirtβ¦