Karoline Leavitt to Leave White House Press Secretary Role
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt will leave her position at the end of August, marking a significant change to President Donald Trump’s communications operation less than three months before the U.S. midterm elections.
Trump announced the departure on social media on August 12, saying Leavitt wanted to spend more time with her young children. He said she would remain involved as an outside adviser and continue playing a role in Republican political communications.
Leavitt confirmed the decision through her official @PressSec account on X, describing her departure as a difficult personal decision following her return from maternity leave. She gave birth to her second child in May and recently returned to work.
At 28, Leavitt is the youngest person to have served as White House press secretary. She entered the position when Trump returned to office in January 2025 after previously serving as national press secretary for his 2024 presidential campaign and working in his first administration.
Her tenure became closely associated with the administration’s changing relationship with the media. Reuters reports that the White House communications operation under Leavitt and communications director Steven Cheung gave greater access to newer digital outlets and nontraditional media alongside established White House correspondents.
That strategy reflected a broader shift in political communications, where podcasts, independent creators and digital platforms increasingly compete with traditional television networks and newspapers for access to political figures and audiences.
Trump described Leavitt as one of his most trusted aides and said she would continue advising him from outside the administration as Republicans prepare for the November midterms.
A successor has not yet been announced.
