White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt is leaving the Trump administration at the end of August, saying the demands of her role have made it difficult to give her young family the time and attention they deserve.
Leavitt, 28, announced her decision on Wednesday after President Donald Trump confirmed that she would be stepping down from the high-profile position.
The White House press secretary, who recently returned to the podium following the birth of her second child in May, described her departure as a “bittersweet decision.”
“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.
Leavitt and her husband have two children, including a daughter, Viviana, who was born in May, and a two-year-old son.
Trump said he understood and respected Leavitt’s decision, while indicating that she would remain closely involved in his political activities. “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.”
The president did not announce who would succeed Leavitt as White House press secretary.
Leavitt became the youngest person to serve as White House press secretary when she assumed the role in Trump’s second administration. She had previously worked in the White House press office during Trump’s first term.
Before joining Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign, Leavitt worked as a spokesperson for MAGA Inc., a political action committee supporting the president.
She also sought elected office in New Hampshire in 2022, winning a 10-way Republican primary before losing the general election to Democratic incumbent Chris Pappas.
After her first stint at the White House, Leavitt served as communications director for Republican Representative Elise Stefanik of New York.
During her tenure as press secretary, Leavitt held fewer formal White House briefings than some of her predecessors, while Trump frequently interacted directly with reporters during White House events and presidential travel.
Leavitt was also regularly deployed to conservative media outlets, including Fox News, where she promoted the administration’s agenda and criticised Democrats and mainstream media organisations.
She succeeded a line of Trump press secretaries whose appearances in the White House briefing room often generated clashes with journalists, including Sean Spicer and Sarah Huckabee Sanders.
Stephanie Grisham, another of Trump’s first-term press secretaries, did not hold a formal briefing, while Kayleigh McEnany frequently used briefings to defend the administration and challenge the news media.
Erizia Rubyjeana
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