'One of my most trusted aides': Trump announces Karoline Leavitt’s departure as White House press secretary

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt will leave her position at the end of August, President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday, marking a significant change for the administration’s communications team less than three months before the 2026 midterm elections. Trump described Leavitt as ‘one of my most trusted aides’ and said she ‘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 added that Leavitt will continue working with him as an outside adviser.

Her departure comes at a difficult moment for the Trump administration, which is dealing with low approval ratings, the ongoing war with Iran and elevated gas prices. Polling has also shown that many Americans believe the president has not focused enough on the country’s most important issues. At 28, Leavitt became the youngest person ever to serve as White House press secretary. She was also the first woman to hold the demanding position while pregnant. After giving birth to her daughter, she returned to the White House briefing room last month following a short maternity leave.

Leavitt previously worked in a junior position during Trump’s first administration. During his second term, however, she quickly became one of his most trusted and recognizable spokespeople. Known for her aggressive defense of Trump and his policies, Leavitt developed a reputation as a fierce defender of the president, regularly confronting reporters over tough questions while maintaining close relationships with more sympathetic media outlets.

Away from the briefing room, Leavitt has also emphasised her role as a wife and mother. She has brought her toddler son Niko aboard Air Force One and to the Oval Office, appeared with her husband at White House events, baked an apple pie from scratch and shared moments with her newborn daughter, Viviana. But behind those carefully presented family moments was the reality of an exceptionally demanding job.

“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,” she wrote in a social media post Wednesday, describing the decision as “bittersweet.”

Trump, who has frequently maintained that he is his own best spokesperson, has also placed significant demands on officials speaking for him.

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After Leavitt gave birth to her daughter on May 1, she took about a month away from the White House. During that period, Trump frequently called her and sometimes asked when she planned to return, according to a person familiar with the discussions. When her first child was born in July 2024, Leavitt took only four days off before returning to the campaign trail. Her return came just one day after Trump survived an assassination attempt at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.

“It kind of threw me right back to work much sooner than I would have probably expected or hoped,” she later said in an interview with Megyn Kelly. When Leavitt returned to the White House briefing room last month, she acknowledged that balancing the press secretary position with raising two young children was difficult. “But, she added at the time, “I view this as more than job, I view this as public service.”

Before joining Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign, Leavitt ran for Congress in her home state of New Hampshire after Trump’s first term but lost in the general election. Her work on the 2024 campaign quickly elevated her into Trump’s inner circle, where she became a trusted voice for the president. Her role may not end entirely with her departure from the White House. With the 2026 midterms approaching, Leavitt could remain an influential outside voice for Trump and the Republican Party. “President Trump has asked me to continue serving as a top advisor to him on the outside, and I will always remain a vocal advocate for MAGA and the Republican Party,” she wrote Wednesday.

A vacancy at the podium

Leavitt’s departure will leave the White House press operation searching for a new face at the briefing room podium.

During her recent maternity leave, White House press briefings became less frequent, with officials including Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio stepping in to address reporters.

As of Wednesday afternoon, some White House staff members were reportedly unsure who would replace Leavitt.

Finding a successor could be particularly difficult given Leavitt’s high profile and her role as one of the most visible women in the Trump administration. Leavitt has spent 18 months as press secretary, making her the second-longest-serving press secretary under Trump. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, now governor of Arkansas, served for nearly two years during Trump’s first term.

Other Trump press secretaries have had significantly shorter tenures. Kayleigh McEnany served for eight months, Stephanie Grisham for 10 months and Sean Spicer for six months. The White House press operation has also experienced turnover during Trump’s second term. Taylor Budowich, who served as deputy chief of staff for communications, left after eight months. Leavitt’s deputies Harrison Fields and Abigail Jackson have also departed.

White House communications director Steven Cheung praised Leavitt’s performance, calling her “been the best teammate.” “Although this is a sad day, we’re so happy for her and her family. It’s never ‘goodbye.’ It’s always ‘see you down the road,’” he wrote on X.