White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt to leave post at end of August, Trump announces

Trump announces departure on Truth Social

President Donald Trump announced on August 12 via Truth Social that White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt will leave her role at the end of August 2026. Trump described her as "one of my most trusted collaborators" and said she was departing "to spend more time with her family and her beautiful young children," a decision he said he fully understands and respects. Trump praised the 28-year-old as one of the best press secretaries in the history of the role, citing her work since 2018, including the 2024 re-election campaign. The announcement comes less than three months before US midterm elections.

Leavitt's personal reasons

Leavitt gave birth to her second child, a daughter, in May 2026 after going on maternity leave in late April. She returned to work a few weeks later, finding herself in the middle of tensions triggered by the war involving the US, Israel, and Iran. In a lengthy statement posted on X, Leavitt said that since returning to the White House after her daughter's birth, she felt in her heart that she could not be the best mother to her two young children while devoting the constant time, energy, and attention required of the press secretary role.

Being a mother and welcoming a new baby while working in one of the most demanding jobs in the world has been the most rewarding yet challenging season of my life, to say the least.

A new role as outside advisor

Trump said Leavitt will become one of his top outside advisors and an influential voice within the Republican Party as they work toward the midterm elections. Leavitt confirmed this, writing that the president had asked her to continue serving as a top advisor from the outside. She said she will always remain a vocal advocate for MAGA and the Republican Party. This role mirrors the one she held during the 2024 campaign, when Trump defeated Democrat Kamala Harris.

Career before the White House podium

Leavitt, born in Atkinson, New Hampshire, in 1997, worked in the White House press office during Trump's first term before becoming communications director for Republican Representative Elise Stefanik, whom Trump later selected as his nominee for US ambassador to the United Nations. She served as spokesperson for the MAGA Inc political action committee before joining the 2024 presidential campaign. In 2022, she ran for Congress in New Hampshire, winning the Republican primary at age 25 but losing the general election to Democratic Representative Chris Pappas. She was appointed White House press secretary after the 2024 election, becoming the youngest person to hold the position. She is known as one of the most aggressive voices in the administration toward critical media, and was among those who repeatedly promoted the claim that Trump won the 2020 election.

No successor named

No replacement for Leavitt has been announced. In her departure statement, Leavitt thanked Trump, the First Lady, the Trump family, and Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, whom she credited with empowering her since hiring her for the campaign. Leavitt also used her statement to warn of what she called an "existential threat" from an increasingly extremist Democratic Party, saying her fight is entering a new phase but is far from over.