The White House has not officially announced who will replace Karoline Leavitt as press secretary.
But one familiar face took over the briefing on Thursday afternoon: Vice President JD Vance.
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Vance kicked off by announcing that the Trump administration has taken 2,000 fraudulent CDL mills out of business.
“Which makes America’s roads safer and also protects the jobs of American truckers. If you’re an American trucker wondering why it is that the last administration facilitated illegal aliens driving semi-trucks on our roads, or if you’re an American who just shares a road with somebody who isn’t properly qualified, we’ve made the roads safer, we’ve seen trucker wages go up by 7.5%!” Vance said.
“And that effort was obviously led by our anti-fraud task force because so many of these people were engaged in effectively fraudulent driving. They were getting these diplomas, these CDLs through fraudulent means. We stopped that. We’re very proud of it,” Vance added.
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Vance also touched on a major disaster that occurred in his home state of Ohio during the Biden administration.
Vance formally requested a broad federal investigation into the Biden administration’s handling of the 2023 train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio.
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The crash released hazardous chemicals near East Palestine and led to the evacuation of thousands of residents as authorities worked to contain the incident and assess potential health and environmental risks.
While attorneys negotiated a $600 million settlement with Norfolk Southern, the rail line involved in the crash, they did not disclose the findings to residents.
The disclosure has raised new questions about what information was available to attorneys, government officials, and residents as the community weighed the settlement’s terms.
WATCH:
🚨 NOW: VP JD Vance has just walked out to a JAM PACKED press briefing room, and IMMEDIATELY confirms his fraud task force has now taken out 2,000 FRAUDULENT CDL mills out of business ALREADY
Illegal alien truckers are being REMOVED by the THOUSANDS, and per JD, “we’ve seen… pic.twitter.com/gy2esKT33g
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) September 3, 2026
Leavitt officially concluded her historic tenure as President Trump’s White House press secretary late last month, but she isn’t disappearing from the political battlefield.
Instead, the 28-year-old is moving into roles that will keep her closely connected to Trump as Republicans prepare for a difficult midterm election fight.
Leavitt will now return to Trump’s MAGA Inc. super PAC while also serving as an outside adviser to the president.
Trump announced Leavitt’s departure on Aug. 12, explaining that she wanted to spend additional time with her two young children while remaining involved with his political operation.
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Leavitt subsequently confirmed aboard Air Force One that she would return to MAGA Inc., where she previously worked as a spokesperson before joining Trump’s successful 2024 presidential campaign.
Republican strategist Ford O’Connell said Leavitt’s understanding of Trump’s supporters and her ability to generate media attention could make her particularly valuable during the midterms.
“She understands the base and how to break through the legacy news media cycle,” O’Connell told The Hill, describing those abilities as “invaluable to the president and to the Republican Party.”
Leavitt has already confirmed that she plans to join Trump at the Republican National Committee’s midterm convention in Dallas on Sept. 9 and 10.
Her transition comes as Republicans confront challenging national polling ahead of November.
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A Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted Aug. 21-24 placed Trump’s job approval rating at 33 percent, while an Emerson College/The Hill survey conducted Aug. 16-17 showed Democrats leading Republicans 51 percent to 43 percent on the generic congressional ballot.
Leavitt used her final remarks to preview one of the arguments Republicans are likely to emphasize as they attempt to improve those numbers.
She accused Democrats of voting against what she called “the largest tax cuts in American history” and said Trump would continue taking his economic message directly to voters through November.
Trump’s political operation is already accelerating its midterm activity.
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MAGA Inc. announced that Vice President JD Vance will headline a rally in Sterling Heights, Michigan, alongside Republican Senate nominee Mike Rogers and gubernatorial nominee Rep. John James.
Trump also traveled to Texas for a Republican National Committee fundraiser as the party works to protect its congressional majorities.
Leavitt’s move to MAGA Inc. places her directly inside that effort and allows her to advocate for Trump and Republican candidates without the restrictions associated with serving as White House press secretary.
This article may contain commentary which reflects the author’s opinion.
