White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt leaving role, Trump announces

By Betsy Klein, Alayna Treene, CNN

(CNN) — White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt will leave her role at the end of August, President Donald Trump announced Wednesday.

The imminent departure of one of the president’s closest allies inside the White House marks a major shakeup for the president’s press operation, with less than three months until the midterm elections.

Describing her as “one of my most trusted aides,” Trump said in a social media post that 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!”

Leavitt, he added, will continue to serve as an outside adviser.

The departure comes at a challenging moment for Trump, who’s facing low approval ratings amid the ongoing war with Iran and high gas prices, with most Americans saying he hasn’t paid enough attention to the country’s most important problems.

Leavitt, 28, made history as the youngest-ever White House press secretary, and also the first woman to be pregnant in the high-pressure job. She returned to the briefing room podium last month after a short maternity leave.

Leavitt served in a junior role during Trump’s first term, then but has emerged as one of his most effective and loyal spokespeople during his second. She has cultivated a personal brand as a pit bull for the president and his policies, tussling with reporters who ask tough questions and welcoming friendlier outlets.

Behind the microphone and on social media, she has also presented herself as a devoted wife and working mom, toting toddler son Niko to Air Force One and the Oval Office, posing for photos with her husband at the White House Easter Egg Roll and Halloween celebrations, baking an apple pie from scratch and basking in newborn snuggles with daughter Viviana.

As is often true of social media, the images belie her 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, calling her decision “bittersweet.”

The president, who believes he is his own best spokesperson, has been demanding of those who speak on his behalf. Following the birth of her daughter on May 1, Leavitt took roughly a month of leave away from the White House, during which the president often called her and, at times, asked when she planned to return, a person familiar with the discussions said.

When Leavitt’s first child was born in July 2024, she took just a four-day leave, returning to the campaign trail the day after then-candidate Trump was the victim of an assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania.

“It kind of threw me right back to work much sooner than I would have probably expected or hoped,” she later reflected in an interview with Megyn Kelly.

When Leavitt returned to the White House podium last month, she acknowledged balancing the demanding job with raising two young children was “challenging.” But, she added at the time, “I view this as more than job — I view this as public service.”

Leavitt ran for Congress in her home state of New Hampshire after Trump’s first term, losing in the general election. Then, during his 2024 presidential campaign, she became a trusted figure who quickly catapulted into his inner circle.

Now, as the 2026 midterms heat up, Leavitt could emerge as an important outside messenger.

“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

During Leavitt’s recent maternity leave, White House press briefings became significantly less frequent. The press shop stacked the lectern with top officials like Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio — guest appearances that came with varying levels of success.

Vance said Wednesday that Leavitt “has one of the hardest jobs in the Administration,” adding in his X post, “and I know how difficult yet rewarding a constant job like this can be for a young parent.”

As of Wednesday afternoon, it was not immediately clear to some White House staff who would replace Leavitt, a source said.

And finding a replacement for one of the most visible women in Trump’s administration could be challenging.

Leavitt has served in the role for 18 months, making her the second-longest-serving press secretary under Trump. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, now governor of Arkansas, held the role for just under two years during Trump’s first term. Kayleigh McEnany held the role for eight months, Stephanie Grisham for 10 months and Sean Spicer for six months.

There has been some turnover in the White House press office during Trump’s second term. Taylor Budowich, who was deputy chief of staff for communications, departed after eight months. Two of Leavitt’s deputies, Harrison Fields and Abigail Jackson, have also left.

White House communications director Steven Cheung praised Leavitt’s tenure, saying on Wednesday that she has “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.

This story has been updated with additional information.

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