Key Highlights

  • White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt will leave her role by the end of August, President Trump announced Wednesday
  • Leavitt said she is departing to spend more time with her two young children after recently returning from maternity leave
  • Trump said Leavitt will become one of his top outside advisers, working with the Republican Party ahead of November's midterm elections
  • Leavitt, 28, is the youngest person to serve as White House press secretary, having held the role since January 2025

Leavitt to Depart Press Secretary Role by End of August

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt will leave her post by the end of August, President Trump announced Wednesday. Leavitt is departing so she can spend more time with her young children and family, a decision Trump said he totally understands and respects, according to a post on his Social Media platform announcing her planned departure.

Trump said Leavitt will become one of his top outside advisers and will work with the Republican Party to help win the upcoming midterm elections in November. Leavitt has served as White House press secretary since Trump returned to office in January 2025, making her the youngest person to hold the position in its history.

Leavitt Cites Difficulty Balancing Role With Young Family

Leavitt has two young children with her husband, a real estate developer, and gave birth to her daughter in May, days after going on maternity leave. In her own statement, Leavitt said being a mother while working one of the most demanding jobs in the world has been the most rewarding yet challenging season of her life. She said that since returning to the White House after her daughter's birth, she felt she could not be the mother her children deserve while devoting the constant time and attention required by the press secretary role, calling it a bittersweet decision to depart and begin a new chapter.

During Leavitt's recent maternity leave, White House press briefings became noticeably less frequent, with the press team relying on other senior officials to appear at the podium in her absence. Her successor has not yet been announced. Trump had four White House press secretaries during his first term, from January 2017 to January 2021.