White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt to Depart Trump Administration
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, the youngest person to ever hold the role, will leave the Trump administration at the end of August to spend more time with her young family, President Donald Trump announced Wednesday. Leavitt, 28, called it a “bittersweet decision” in her own social media post shortly after Trump’s announcement, according to AP News.
A Historic Tenure
Leavitt assumed the role in January 2025 at age 27, making her the youngest White House press secretary in U.S. history—younger than Ronald Ziegler, who was 29 when he served as Richard Nixon’s spokesperson. She served approximately 19 months, making her the second longest-serving press secretary in either of Trump’s administrations, following only Sarah Huckabee Sanders, as BBC News reported.
During her tenure, Leavitt became the first White House press secretary to give birth to a child while holding the role. She welcomed her daughter Viviana on May 1, 2026, and returned to the White House podium in mid-July after maternity leave. She also has a two-year-old son, Niko.
“The truth is since returning to the White House after the birth of my daughter, I have felt in my heart that I cannot be the best mom my two young children deserve while devoting the constant time, energy, and attention required of the White House Press Secretary,” Leavitt wrote on X, as CBS News reported.
Trump’s Praise and Future Role
Trump announced Leavitt’s departure on Truth Social, calling her “one of my most trusted aides” and praising her as “one of the best White House Press Secretaries in the History of the Office.” He said she will now serve as one of his “top outside advisors” and an “influential voice within the Republican Party” as they work to win the November midterm elections.
“Karoline has been a real leader in the White House, and has done a phenomenal job fighting for Justice, Liberty, and Freedom, since 2018, including our Historic Re-Election Campaign of 2024,” Trump wrote.
Leavitt confirmed her continued alignment with the president’s agenda, writing: “President Trump has asked me to continue serving as a top advisor to him on the outside, and I will always remain a vocal advocate for MAGA and the Republican Party.”
Trump allies rallied to praise Leavitt. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum called her “a fearless voice for the President’s agenda,” while Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick described her as “the most successful Press Secretary in history.” Stephen Miller, the White House deputy chief of staff, called her a “close friend” and “role model,” according to The Guardian.
Democrats offered a sharper response. Sen. Adam Schiff of California posted on X: “Karoline Leavitt is leaving the White House to spend a little more time … with the truth.”
A Combative Communications Style
Leavitt was known for a combative communications style, zealously defending Trump while berating Democrats and the “fake news” media. She briefed less frequently than some predecessors, with Trump primarily deploying her to Fox News and other conservative outlets. She expanded the White House briefing room to include bloggers and social media influencers, adding a “new media” seat that often went to right-wing content creators, as Al Jazeera noted.
Her tenure was not without controversy. Her office seized control of the White House press pool from the White House Correspondents’ Association, and the administration attempted to ban the Associated Press from certain presidential events over the “Gulf of America” naming dispute. She was also named as a defendant in Associated Press v. Budowich (2025).
Who Could Replace Her?
Trump did not outline plans for who might replace Leavitt. A White House source told the New York Post that Trump has not yet decided on a replacement.
Early front-runners reportedly include Alina Habba, the former acting U.S. attorney for New Jersey and former Trump personal lawyer, and Matthew Boyle, the Breitbart Washington Bureau Chief. Other names in consideration include Katie Miller, a conservative podcaster and former Pence press secretary; Anna Kelly, the current principal deputy press secretary; Steven Cheung, the White House communications director; and Taylor Budowich, a former White House deputy chief of staff, according to BBC News.
Broader Context and Timing
Leavitt’s departure comes at a critical political moment. Trump’s approval rating sits at a historic low as voters express discontent over rising prices and the ongoing war in Iran. Her exit arrives less than three months before the November midterm elections, and she is the latest in a series of senior Trump officials to step down from his second administration, following the firings of former Attorney General Pam Bondi and ex-Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem.
Leavitt is expected to depart her role at the end of August. Trump’s decision not to immediately name a successor opens the possibility that senior officials—including Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who briefed during Leavitt’s maternity leave—could temporarily fill the void at the podium.
As Leavitt herself noted, her time in the role was “the honor and adventure of a lifetime.” Her next chapter, as an outside advisor to the president, will keep her firmly within Trump’s orbit as the midterms approach.