U.S.
Karoline Leavitt to leave White House press secretary role at end of August
Trump said Leavitt will remain an outside adviser after stepping down to spend more time with her family; he did not name a successor.
Executive summary
- The departure: Karoline Leavitt will leave her position as White House press secretary at the end of August, President Donald Trump announced Wednesday.Associated PressAxios
- Her reason: Leavitt said she decided to step down because the demands of the job prevented her from giving her two young children the time and attention she believed they deserved.Associated Press
- The next role: Trump said Leavitt will remain one of his outside advisers and continue as a voice in the Republican Party ahead of the midterm elections.Associated Press
- The succession: Trump did not announce who would replace Leavitt in the high-profile communications role.Associated Press
Karoline Leavitt will leave her job as White House press secretary at the end of August, President Donald Trump announced Wednesday. The departure will remove one of the administration's most visible public advocates from the White House communications operation months before the midterm elections.Associated PressAxios
Trump said Leavitt was stepping down to spend more time with her family. In her own social-media statement, Leavitt said that after returning to the White House following the birth of her daughter, she concluded that she could not meet the demands of the press secretary role while also being the mother she wanted to be to her two young children.Associated Press
Leavitt will not sever her relationship with Trump. The president said she would become one of his outside advisers and remain influential in the Republican Party as it campaigns for the November midterm elections.Associated Press
At 28, Leavitt is the youngest person to serve as White House press secretary. She worked as a press aide during Trump's first administration, became his 2024 campaign press secretary and took the White House position when he returned to office in January 2025. She resumed briefing-room duties in July after taking leave following the birth of her second child in May.Associated PressAssociated Press background
The announcement did not identify a successor or provide a timetable for naming one beyond Leavitt's planned departure at month's end. The change leaves the administration to select a new chief spokesperson during an election year.Associated PressAxios