Karoline Leavitt joked that her successor, Katie Zacharia, met the same fate as contestants on Donald Trump’s hit reality show The Apprentice during a Friday conversation with Bill Maher.

The former White House press secretary was asked by the HBO host whether she had any advice for Zacharia, whose time in the role lasted less than a week.

“I mean, the President did have a hit show called The Apprentice, where he’s known for moving on from people,” Leavitt said. “So hey, it’s in his nature to do that type of thing, I guess.”

Maher then joked that he hoped “I’m not next” after making his second visit to the White House to dine with Trump, adding, “I still have some things I wanna say.”

Leavitt expressed sympathy for Zacharia, who faced harsh reviews following her first—and only—White House press briefing.

“It’s a tough job, it’s a very tough job. People say it’s one of the hardest jobs in Washington,” Leavitt said. “I give anyone who steps up to that podium credit, because only 37 people in history have been the White House press secretary.”

Even so, Leavitt said she ultimately supported Trump’s decision to remove Zacharia from the position within a week.

“That pressure in that room is enormous, the press are vicious, and I give her credit for standing up there,” she said. “As the President said, it wasn’t a good fit. That’s okay. I wish her well; we’re onto the next.”

Leavitt, who spent the first 18 months of Trump’s second term battling with the media, said the White House press secretary position should be highly sought after.

“It’s a great job, it’s a fun job and there’s a lot of qualified people who want it,” she said.

Earlier in the week, Leavitt acknowledged in an interview with Fox News, her future employer, that “the job obviously was not for her, but we wish her and her family well.”

Maher, who is liberal-leaning, also pressed Leavitt on the extent of her loyalty to Trump. In response, she described the early encouragement she received from the President.

“My relationship with the President—obviously he was my boss, but to me he’s also a friend. He gave me the opportunity of a lifetime,” she said.

Leavitt said Trump had acknowledged to her directly that some people had advised him against appointing her as White House press secretary, a role that made her the youngest person to hold the position at the time.

“Honey, lots of people said you were too young, and I told them I was building buildings in Manhattan when I was your age and you can do it,” she recalled. “I am very grateful for the opportunity and indebted to him.”

The remarks came after Zacharia’s tenure ended only days after she first stepped behind the White House briefing-room podium, where she delivered a shaky performance.

Trump announced Zacharia’s appointment on October 9, after first contacting her about the role on October 7.

She officially began the job on October 12 and faced reporters for the first time the following day.

NEXT UP: Stunna Girl Dog Cage Kidnapping Case: What Happened To Her- Family And ethnicity – NewsFinale

Her debut briefing lasted just 14 minutes, with questions from only three reporters.

Trump subsequently praised her performance, telling reporters: ‘I thought she did excellent. She did very good.’

But the appointment quickly became a talking point, with questions raised about Zacharia’s limited preparation time and her experience handling the White House press corps.

Zacharia also faced questions over her legal credentials after it was brought to light that she had failed California’s bar exam in 2011.

She then moved to Beijing with her husband and worked at a Chinese law firm.

Despite never passing the bar exam, Zacharia frequently appeared on news channels as a legal analyst, offering commentary on legal and political issues while identifying herself as a lawyer.

Zacharia’s rocky debut was followed by an uncomfortable appearance on Sean Hannity’s Fox News show on October 15, just hours before she was pushed out of the job the following day.

Hannity delivered a notably tough grilling, confronting her over her widely criticized briefing, pressing her on why she had repeatedly described herself as a lawyer despite failing the California bar exam.

He challenged her explanation for the short briefing, asking: ‘Why only three questions in 14 minutes?’ before warning her that the White House briefing room would ‘never be a friendly room to you.’

Zacharia defended herself by blaming the whirlwind hiring process and lack of preparation time, but the combative interview added to the scrutiny surrounding her brief tenure.

As Leavitt reflects upon her first briefing, the lack of preparation on Zacharia’s end gave her a major disadvantage.

Trump announced Leavitt’s appointment on November 15, 2024, while he was still president-elect.

She didn’t deliver her first White House press briefing until January 28, 2025, giving her more than two months between the announcement and her debut.

Leavitt, who was 27 when she took the job, became the youngest White House press secretary in history.

Her first briefing lasted around 46 minutes, during which she took questions on the administration’s agenda and media access.

Leavitt announced her departure from the role on August 12, attributing the decision to wanting to spend more time with her growing family.

Trump praised Leavitt as one of his most trusted aides and said he understood her decision to spend more time with her family.

She also agreed to remain an outside adviser to the president.

Now, however, Leavitt is preparing for a return to the national spotlight.

Fox News announced on October 5 that she would join the network as an on-air contributor, providing political analysis and commentary across its platforms beginning November 1.

A 15-year-old disabled boy starved to death just days after a social worker determined there was no immediate danger in his home, despite his disclosure that he was being spanked and denied food.

Karreon Adams-Franks died on November 27, 2020, after suffering abuse at the hands of his adoptive parents, Felicia Adams and Jesse Franks.

Adams, the sister of Karreon’s biological mother, was sentenced to 35 years in prison for his murder in December 2023. Franks received a 30-year sentence.

Last week, the State of Washington—including the Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF)—and the Evergreen School District reached a $49.3 million settlement with Karreon’s estate.

The settlement will be divided between the state and the school district.

Davis Law Group, which represented Karreon’s estate and his two surviving brothers, said years of warning signs indicated that all three boys were being abused at home.

According to the law firm, Adams and Franks beat the boys with extension cords and canes, withheld food as punishment, and confined them to their bedrooms for days at a time.

Karreon weighed only 61 pounds when he died, down from 115 pounds a little more than a year earlier. He was autistic, nonverbal, and legally blind.

DCYF had received reports of abuse as early as 2017, the law firm said. In 2020, a relative contacted the agency and reported that Karreon looked like a “walking skeleton.”

A DCYF employee visited the family home six days before Karreon’s death and noted that he appeared “very skinny,” according to the law firm.

“This child was very skinny but also very tall. Did not have any observable injuries on exposed skin,” the DCYF fatality review stated, according to The Seattle Times.

“The caseworker encouraged the mother to look up the laws regarding acceptable discipline and said spanking with an object was not advised. She then left the home and documented that there was no present danger.”

Following Karreon’s death, DCYF changed its policies. Employees responding to abuse allegations are now required to take photographs, The Seattle Times reported.

SEE ALSO: Daniel Hagari's Departure: Has He Exited the IDF? – NewsFinale

Karreon’s estate also alleged that the school district failed to protect the boys. The district had previously informed Adams that the children had said they were not given food over the weekend. The boys were beaten after making that disclosure, according to the law firm.

A medical examiner determined in 2021 that Karreon died from starvation and neglect. His death was classified as a homicide.

Adams and Franks surrendered after officials issued arrest warrants, according to KOIN.

In 2023, both Adams and Franks were convicted of domestic violence homicide and criminal mistreatment.

‘No amount of money will ever make up for what happened to Karreon and what his brothers lived through,’ lawyer Chris Davis said in a statement. 

The boys were forced to watch their older brother slowly die. The people and agencies responsible for protecting them, at school and at the State, saw the warning signs for years and did not act.

‘We hope this settlement gives Karreon’s brothers the stability and support to build the future they deserve. We also hope it reminds every governmental agency and school district that each warning sign must be treated as if a child’s life depends on it, because it often does.’ 

In a statement, Evergreen Public Schools said: ‘The district recognizes the profound loss of Karreon’s life and the lasting impact on his family. This was a tragic situation and the perpetrators of these horrendous crimes are in prison for their actions. 

‘Evergreen Public Schools hopes that this settlement will allow Karreon’s brothers to continue healing without the burden of enduring a trial.’ 

It also maintained that ‘none of its staff failed to make a mandatory report’ to DCYF.

‘The district maintains that its staff are well-trained and understand their mandatory reporting responsibilities,’ it said in a statement. 

The district said it agreed to settle to avoid a ‘jury verdict exceeding the district’s available insurance coverage.’  

The Daily Mail has reached out to Evergreen Public Schools and DCYF for comment. 

Miranda Hart was the latest celebrity to be “murdered” on The Celebrity Traitors, leaving the BBC reality series in a dramatic Friday night twist.

The 53-year-old comedian was targeted by Traitors Maya Jama, James Acaster and King Kenny, who believed Miranda was beginning to uncover their identities.

After opening the letter confirming her fate, a shocked Miranda exclaimed: “No! Absolutely not. Oh, bottoms. I knew it. I’m so cross with myself.”

She continued: “Ultimately, in my little personal story, this has been quite extraordinary. I’ve been able to come back and do the work I love professionally, as well as the things I love personally — wandering through the Scottish Highlands, spending time in nature, laughing and connecting.”

“There were times when I didn’t think any of that would be possible again.”

Miranda’s unexpected departure from The Celebrity Traitors left viewers heartbroken, with some fans even threatening to stop watching the BBC show following her exit.

Posting on X, one disappointed viewer wrote: “Traitors not worth watching anymore.”

Others posted: “Miranda off, TV off”; and: “Cancel my TV licence right now.”

Another fan admitted: “The way I just screamed at my TV. I’m devastated.”

One angry viewer said: “I’m actually raging! I was only watching the show for Miranda! F*** you, Traitors! Such fun!”

A further post read: “Nope, I’m done. Absolutely fuming! My poor galloping queen. R.I.P. Miranda.”

During her exit interview, Miranda said appearing on the BBC programme represented the end of a “very hard road” back to television after years of ill health.

“I’ve missed television so much,” she explained. “It’s been incredibly difficult to reach a point where, after a long-term illness, I was well enough to do something like this again.”

Miranda also revealed that she had been agonisingly close to identifying both Maya Jama, 32, and James Acaster, 41, before the Traitors made their move.

She said Rob Beckett’s confidence that Joanne McNally was a Faithful helped her realise that Jama had changed position during the blindfold challenge. Miranda had also begun questioning Acaster because of an earlier vote.

“I was so close to being able to whisper to James B and Michael that I thought I’d worked it out,” she said.

It comes as the BBC was accused of giving away Hart’s fate in a clumsy editing blunder at the end of Thursday’s episode.

The episode ended with the Traitors narrowing their hit list to Hart, Romesh Ranganathan and Sebastian ‘Bash’ Croft.

But as Jama and Acaster watched in the turret, eagle-eyed viewers noticed Kenny, 29, appeared to begin writing Miranda’s name on the scroll before the camera cut away.

One viewer wrote: ‘Well done, you literally had one job producers, and you’ve ruined it.’

Elsewhere in the episode, the stars entered a ‘field of screams’, where scarecrows bearing each of their names stood beside pitchforks.

Working in pairs, one celebrity collected bags of gold worth £500 while the other hung them on the pitchforks to bank the cash.

Three bags on one pitchfork blew up its scarecrow, knocking that celebrity out of the running for a secret power.

In a spectacular own goal, the group chose to protect Jama, Acaster and Kenny as the three contestants they ‘trusted most.’

Kenny was awarded a dagger carrying a double vote, while the stars added £13,500 to the charity prize fund, taking it to £59,500.

DISCOVER MORE: Gary Brecka – the human biologist spouting misinformation – NewsFinale

His advantage was set to prove decisive when the Round Table vote left Sharon Rooney, 38, and McNally, 43, fighting for survival.

The episode ended on another cliffhanger with the group split between them, leaving Kenny’s dagger to decide who will be banished.

Miranda’s untimely departure comes hot on the heels of fellow Faithful Ross Kemp, who fell victim to the Traitors’ latest murder, and their first in plain sight, on Thursday’s show.

The EastEnders actor’s growing paranoia was a major talking point at the start of the series – showcasing a very different side to his usual tough-guy persona. 

He previously accused Bella Ramsey and Leigh-Anne Pinnock of murdering him in plain sight – and now, ironically, that was his demise. 

Inhaling the ‘deadly sleeping powder’ by yawning, James then locked in the murder as he said: ‘Sorry Ross, am I boring you?’   

Fans have now predicted Maya and King Kenny will throw James under the bus after he failed to help them during the mission. 

As the contestants all gathered in the Traitors’ lair, they failed to win any money for the prize fund, which is currently at £46,000.

It was the Traitors who were responsible for winning the gold, as well as sabotaging the Faithfuls winning shields, as they were tasked with moving around the room to move pieces of the shield puzzles while the rest of the contestants remained in the same room blindfolded. 

However, as Maya and King Kenny removed their blindfolds to complete the task, James remained hidden behind his blindfold as he told the camera he was ‘too scared’ to help. 

Maya and King Kenny both looked visibly frustrated to see James not pulling his weight, but they obviously couldn’t confront him in the room full of Faithfuls.  

Later in the turret, Maya and King Kenny, whose real name is Kenny Oghenovo Ojuederie, gave him a sharp telling off.

The Love Island host said: ‘You did leave us out to dry,’ to which James replied: ‘Listen, I didn’t want to be a Traitor, but I’m going to admit something to you now. 

‘When I killed Ross Kemp in plain sight, I loved it. And I have enjoyed today more.’

James’s revelation lifted the mood, with Maya saying: ‘Yay! James, I’m so proud of you.’

However fans are now convinced Maya and King Kenny could plan to throw James under the bus later down the line after he failed to prove his loyalty.

Taking to Twitter they penned: ‘James A – man up!’; ‘Kenny and Maya need to throw James under the bus’;

‘James will be the next traitor to go’; ‘Maya digging at James when it was him who murdered in plain sight and his reasoning for not doing the task sabotage was completely sound!’;

‘maya is 100% gonna turn on james and i’m not ready for that to happen’; 

‘I feel like Maya and Kenny may well end up throwing James under the bus for this, but he’s so right. Kenny being between Jerry (who won’t notice a thing) and Maya means he’s the only one in a good position to pull this off!’

Another joked: ‘They should beat James up in the turret tonight.’

Others sided with James as they wrote: ‘Honestly think James not moving because of who is either side of him is a smart move’.