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Live Reporting Edited by Charlotte Hadfield, Kieran Kelly and Oliver O'Connell, with Tom Bateman reporting from the White House Page 2 of 2 next page Vance due to appear shortly for White House press briefing published at 18:09 BST Vice-President JD Vance is due to appear shortly for this afternoon's White House press briefing - the first in weeks. It had been due to begin at 13:00 local time (18:00 BST) but appears to be running a few minutes behind. Guessing game on Leavitt's replacement has already begun published at 18:02 BST Image source, Getty Images Karoline Leavitt's departure as White House press secretary creates a major opening in Donald Trump's administration.
Trump has called Leavitt one of his "most trusted aides", and her replacement has not yet been announced. Here's a look at some potential candidates for the job: Trump's former personal lawyer Alina Habba Influential conservative podcaster, media personality and former Trump staffer Katie Miller White House deputy press secretary and former beauty queen Anna Kelly Former television anchor Sage Steele White House comms director and long-time Trump adviser Steven Cheung Former spokeswoman for the Department of Homeland Security Tricia McLaughlin Political commentator Scott Jennings It's also possible no successor will be named, with senior officials continuing to run infrequent briefings instead like when Leavitt was on maternity leave. Lots to question Vance on today published at 17:55 BST Tom Bateman Reporting from the White House Image source, Reuters Here in the White House briefing room journalists are packed in the aisles as closely as a metro train at rush hour.
It could be a bit of an unruly briefing with the vice president due at the podium. When former press secretary Karoline Leavitt was on maternity leave earlier this year, we saw something similar as JD Vance or Secretary of State Marco Rubio stood in. Unused to managing a packed press room in the Trump White House, Rubio described trying to arbitrate between competing questioners as “chaos”.
There’s a lot to try to get out of the administration today: Details about this week’s deadly escalation with Iran, the US trade war with Canada, the looming midterm elections with the president’s tanking approval ratings, to mention a few. Oh, and of course there are Vance’s podcast comments this week about the Antichrist and whether the end of the world is nigh. It's not the first time Vance has hosted the briefing published at 17:50 BST Image source, Reuters This is not the first time Vice-President JD Vance has hosted the White House press briefing.
A rotating roster of people stood in for former Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt while she was on maternity leave earlier this year, with Vance hosting the briefing on 19 May and 18 June. Pressed on the Iran war in his May briefing, the vice-president said it was "not a forever war" but did not offer a clear roadmap for when the conflict might end. He also reiterated his "red line" that Iran must not have a nuclear weapon.
In the June briefing, he defended the "memorandum of understanding" between the US and Iran and brushed aside a question about whether Donald Trump had positioned him as the "fall guy" if the deal collapsed. Why did Karoline Leavitt step down as White House press secretary? published at 17:41 BST Image source, Reuters Former White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stepped down from the role at the end of August to spend time with her young children and family, calling the decision "bittersweet". It followed the birth of her second child, a girl, in May.
She also has a two-year-old son with husband Nicholas Riccio. Leavitt said "being a mother and welcoming a new baby while working in one of the most demanding jobs in the world has been the most rewarding yet challenging season of my life, to say the least". US President Donald Trump called it "a decision I totally understand and respect".
He added that Leavitt would now become "one of my top outside advisors, and an influential voice within the Republican Party". Leavitt has since told the media she will return to work for the so-called Super-Pac "Maga Inc." - a form of political committee. Leavitt, 29, took the job as White House Press Secretary last year, becoming the youngest person ever in the role - it remains unclear who will replace her.
JD Vance to host first White House press briefing in weeks published at 17:32 BST Bernd Debusmann Jr White House reporter Image source, EPA/Shutterstock Vice-President JD Vance will be back at the lectern for the first White House briefing in more than a month. Vance’s appearance comes at a time when the White House is without a formal spokesperson following Karoline Leavitt’s departure from the administration at the end of August. While Washington has been buzzing with rumours, there has so far been no replacement named for the job, among the highest profile in government.
It’s not a first for the vice-president. He also conducted a briefing on 19 May, during Leavitt’s maternity leave. He was one of several administration officials to conduct a briefing around that time, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent.
The briefing will almost certainly begin with some opening remarks from the vice-president, followed by questions. Questions about Iran and the economy are likely to take up a large part of the briefing, as well as domestic politics and the upcoming midterm elections. Stay with us for updates from the briefing.
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Source: BBC
