White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt will leave her post at the end of August, President Donald Trump announced Tuesday, citing a desire from the 28-year-old to spend more time with her two young children after recently returning from maternity leave.
Trump broke the news in a post on Truth Social, praising Leavitt as “one of the best White House Press Secretaries in the History of the Office” and confirming she would not be leaving the administration’s orbit entirely.
Trump’s full post on Truth Social read:
“Our wonderful White House Press Secretary, and one of my most trusted aides, Karoline Leavitt, will be departing her role at the end of the month so she can spend more time with her beautiful young children and family, a decision I totally understand and respect! Karoline will now be one of my top outside advisors, and an influential voice within the Republican Party, as we work to defy History, and conclusively win the 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. Karoline has been one of the best White House Press Secretaries in the History of the Office. Thank you, Karoline, for a job well done!””
Leavitt, who gave birth to her second child in May before returning to the White House podium in recent weeks, said the demands of the job had become incompatible with the kind of mother she wants to be. “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,” she said in a statement accompanying the announcement.
Leavitt made history at the start of Trump’s second term when, at 27, she became the youngest White House press secretary ever appointed, a distinction she held throughout her tenure. She quickly became one of the administration’s most visible defenders, known for a combative podium style and an aggressive use of the briefing room to counter what she and the administration characterized as biased press coverage. Her daily briefings, often carried live across cable news, made her one of the most recognizable faces of Trump’s second-term communications operation.
Her departure, set for the end of August, leaves the White House without a named successor as of Wednesday evening. Administration officials had not indicated who might take over the briefing room duties or whether a deputy press secretary would step in on an interim basis while a permanent replacement is chosen.
Leavitt’s exit marks one of the most notable staff departures of Trump’s second term to date, coming at a moment when the administration has faced an unusually heavy volume of high-profile news cycles, from foreign policy flashpoints to domestic legal battles, that have kept the press secretary’s role squarely in the public eye. Her ability to manage that pace from the podium had drawn consistent praise from Trump and senior officials, who credited her with sharpening the administration’s rapid-response media strategy.
Neither the White House nor Leavitt indicated whether she would remain involved in day-to-day communications strategy in her new advisory capacity, or whether her role would be primarily focused on political and party matters heading into the midterm election cycle.
