Donald Trump Announces Karoline Leavitt Is Leaving Her White House Role

President Donald Trump has announced that the White House Press Secretary will leave her role at the end of August, bringing an unexpected change to the administration less than three months before the 2026 midterm elections.

At 28, Karoline Leavitt has become one of the most recognizable faces of President Trump's second administration. But the road to the White House podium began several years before she took the job — and the events that eventually led her away from it unfolded much more recently.

Leavitt's rise through Trump's political world was already well underway before she became the face of his White House messaging operation. She previously worked in the White House press office during Trump's first administration and later served as communications director for Rep. Elise Stefanik, according to TheWrap.

Before She Became Trump's Press Secretary

In 2022, Leavitt ran for Congress in New Hampshire. She won the Republican nomination but lost the general election to Democratic Rep. Chris Pappas.

She later joined Trump's political operation, serving as a spokeswoman for his transition team and as national press secretary for his 2024 presidential campaign. That experience eventually brought her back to the White House, where she became one of the administration's most visible public voices.

She Took a Different Approach to the Podium

Once Leavitt became press secretary, her role quickly became about more than traditional White House briefings. At her first briefing in January 2025, she announced that the administration would open press credentials to podcasters, social media influencers and other "new media" journalists.

The change reflected her argument that the White House needed to adapt to the way Americans consume news.

Leavitt also presided over a major change in how the administration handled the White House press pool. The Trump administration took control of determining which news organizations would participate, a responsibility traditionally handled by the independent White House Correspondents' Association.

The move drew objections from the organization and some news outlets over concerns about editorial independence and access. Leavitt also frequently clashed with members of the traditional press corps while defending Trump's administration, making criticism of legacy media a recurring part of her briefings.

According to CNN, that made her departure more significant than simply losing another White House spokesperson. Leavitt had developed an understanding of Trump's political instincts and became a key part of the administration's effort to communicate with the public.

Then Her Life Outside the White House Changed

The next major chapter came in the spring of 2026, when Leavitt prepared to welcome her second child. On April 24, during a press gaggle, Leavitt joked that she was "about ready to have a baby any minute."

A little over a week later, that moment arrived. Leavitt welcomed her daughter, Viviana, nicknamed "Vivi," on May 1, 2026. Five days later, on May 7, she publicly announced the birth on Instagram, writing, "On May 1st, Viviana aka 'Vivi' joined our family, and our hearts instantly exploded with love. 💕"

She continued, "She is perfect and healthy, and her big brother is joyfully adjusting to life with his new baby sister." Leavitt also gave followers a glimpse of those first days with her newborn, writing, "We are enjoying every moment in our blissful newborn bubble."

The photo showed Leavitt holding her daughter in a cozy nursery, dressed casually in a pink cardigan and gray sweatpants. The image offered a rare look at the press secretary away from the podium, surrounded by the softer details of life with a newborn.

She Returned to a Job That Never Slows Down

After maternity leave, Leavitt returned to the White House and resumed one of the administration's most demanding public-facing positions. That return would ultimately force her to confront a difficult question about how much time and energy she could continue giving to the job.

According to Leavitt's statement, the months after her daughter's birth changed the way she viewed the demands of the position. She later explained that serving as press secretary had been "the honor and adventure of a lifetime," recalling her time in the West Wing, the Oval Office, overseas travel and meetings with foreign leaders and Americans across the country.

But her return after giving birth brought a realization she could no longer ignore.

"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."

Then Trump Made the Announcement

On August 12, Trump publicly announced that Leavitt would leave her role at the end of the month. In his Truth Social post, Trump wrote:

"Our wonderful White House Press Secretary, and one of my most trusted aides, Karoline Leavitt, 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!"

The phrase "one of my most trusted aides" offered a glimpse into just how highly Trump viewed the woman who had spent the past year and a half speaking for his administration.

Trump went further, saying, "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."

He also praised her work in the White House, saying she had been a real leader and had done a "phenomenal job fighting for Justice, Liberty, and Freedom." Trump added that Leavitt had been "one of the best White House Press Secretaries in the History of the Office."

Leavitt Is Leaving the Podium, Not the Movement

Leavitt's own statement made clear that her political involvement will continue. "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 continued, "Our country is facing an existential threat from an increasingly extremist Democrat Party that seeks to destroy everything great about America, and I believe it is incumbent upon all of us who care about this country to fight back against that threat. My fight is entering a new phase, but it is far from over."

She also thanked Trump, first lady Melania Trump, the Trump family, Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, her Cabinet colleagues, staff, colleagues and friends at the White House.

Her final thanks went to her family. "And of course, thank you most especially to my loving and supportive husband and family for the sacrifices they made for me to serve in this role."

Now Trump Has to Find Her Replacement

Leavitt's departure leaves the White House with a major vacancy at a politically important time. Her final day comes less than three months before the November midterm elections, when Trump will be looking to keep his party's momentum behind his administration.

According to the New York Post, Trump had not yet decided who would replace Leavitt. Among the early names being discussed are Alina Habba, the former U.S. attorney for New Jersey, and Matthew Boyle, Breitbart's Washington bureau chief.

Habba previously served as one of Trump's defense lawyers and became known for her televised defenses of the president. She also briefly worked in the West Wing as a counselor before becoming New Jersey's top prosecutor.

Boyle is another figure familiar to Trump, having interviewed the president several times, including in the Oval Office. Other potential contenders include former White House deputy chief of staff for communications and personnel Taylor Budowich and current White House communications director Steven Cheung.

For now, however, the next person behind the podium remains unknown.