The White House announced Wednesday that Karoline Leavitt, who became the youngest press secretary in U.S. history when she took the job at the start of President Donald Trump’s second term, will leave the administration at the end of the month to spend more time with her family.
Transition and immediate next steps
President Trump posted on Truth Social that Leavitt, 28, will step down to “spend more time with her beautiful young children and family” and that she will remain close to the campaign as an outside advisor. In his post, the president also framed her future role as part of the Republican effort ahead of the midterm elections.
“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,”
Leavitt confirmed her departure in a statement on X (formerly Twitter), saying the position had been “the honor and adventure of a lifetime” and that since the birth of her second child she had concluded she could not “be the best mom my two young children deserve while devoting the constant time, energy, and attention required of the White House Press Secretary.”
What she accomplished and the circumstances of her tenure
Leavitt joined the White House press team in President Trump’s first term as an assistant press secretary and later served as the campaign’s national press secretary in 2024 before returning to the West Wing when Trump took office for a second term in January 2025. Her tenure as press secretary included several notable firsts for the role.
- First press secretary to give birth while serving in the position — she had her second child in May and returned from maternity leave to the podium on July 16.
- Youngest person to hold the post at 28 years old.
- Her departure was described as a shift from an on-staff role to an outside advisory position within the broader Republican apparatus.
The White House did not identify who would replace Leavitt. During the period she was on maternity leave, the administration chose not to appoint an interim press secretary, instead having other officials brief the press. Those officials included Vice President J.D. Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.
Operational and political implications
The timing of the announcement places the search for a successor during a politically charged period, with the White House continuing to manage an aggressive communications agenda and prepare for the midterm elections. Leavitt’s shift to an outside advisory role suggests she will continue to influence messaging and strategy, albeit not from the podium.
Her stepping down also raises immediate operational questions: who will oversee daily press briefings, whether the White House will restore a standing deputy or interim arrangement, and how reporters will adapt to another change in a role that has seen several occupants in recent Republican administrations.
| Milestone | Date / Detail |
|---|---|
| Became press secretary | Start of Trump’s second term, January 2025 |
| Second child born | May 2026 |
| Returned from maternity leave | July 16, 2026 |
| Departure announced | August 12–13, 2026; leaving at month’s end |
Leavitt’s trajectory from assistant press secretary in the prior administration to national press secretary during the 2024 campaign, and then to White House press secretary, made her one of the most prominent young spokespeople in modern presidential communications. Her tenure featured a high-profile public defense of the president’s agenda and regular interaction with national reporters.
Neither the president’s post nor Leavitt’s public statement provided names of potential successors, leaving a vacancy to be filled before the end of the month. For now, the White House communications operation must manage both the practical aspects of the transition and the political messaging surrounding it.
As Leavitt prepares to leave the West Wing, her move to an outside advisory status indicates she will remain part of the president’s broader communications network, even as the daily responsibilities of speaking for the White House will pass to another official.
— Reporting for the national desk at WE NEWS
