White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt will step down at the end of August, ending an 18-month run as one of President Donald Trump’s most visible and trusted spokespeople.
Trump himself announced Leavitt’s departure in a post on his Truth Social platform, the same day that he and the White House were sued over a plan to sell early access to his announcements through the service.
“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!” Trump wrote.
Trump said Leavitt will continue to serve as one of his “top outside” advisers and will remain “an influential voice within the Republican Party” heading into the midterm elections.
Leavitt confirmed the decision in a post on X, calling her time as White House Press Secretary “the honor and adventure of a lifetime.” She said the decision followed her return to the White House after the birth of her daughter.
“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 — and that is why I have ultimately made the bittersweet decision to depart the White House and embark on a new chapter in my life,” Leavitt wrote.
Prior to her post and shortly after Trump’s announcement, the most-recent comment on Leavitt’s X.com account was one disparaging members of the Democratic Party, which reflected the same acerbic tone that members of the White House Press Corps became familiar with during his run as Press Secretary.
Leavitt made history by becoming the youngest person to step into the role — she was 28 when Trump announced her appointment — and for being the first pregnant woman to continue in that job. She went on maternity leave in May and returned to the briefing room podium in July.
Her departure creates a major opening in Trump’s communications operation less than three months before the midterm elections. It was not immediately clear Wednesday who would replace her.
Leavitt served in Trump’s first administration as an Assistant Press Secretary from 2019 to 2021. After Trump left office, she worked as Communications Director for Representative Elise Stefanik of New York, then ran for Congress in New Hampshire’s 1st Congressional District. Stefanik won the Republican nomination but lost to Representative Chris Pappas in the general election.
She later became a spokesperson for Trump’s Super PAC, MAGA Inc., before moving to his 2024 presidential campaign. Trump selected her as White House Press Secretary after winning the election.
