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Leavitt Steps Down
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt will leave the Trump administration at the end of the month, President Donald Trump said, after she returned to the White House podium following the birth of her second child in May.
“will leave the Trump administration at the end of the month to spend more time with her young family”
Trump said in a social media post that her decision is one "I totally understand and respect!" and indicated she would continue to play a role as one of his "top outside advisors" ahead of the midterm elections.
Leavitt, 28, called it a “bittersweet decision” in a social media post Wednesday shortly after Trump announced she would be stepping down, and she said she aimed to spend more time with her young children.
Reuters reported that Trump said Leavitt would leave the role at the end of the month, leaving him without one of his most trusted advisers ahead of November's midterm elections, and said she would become an outside communications adviser and party operative.
The AP reported that Leavitt recently returned from maternity leave after giving birth to a daughter named Viviana in May and also has a 2-year-old son.
Who Praised Her
Trump praised Leavitt as one of his most trusted aides and said she would become an influential voice within the Republican Party, writing "Karoline will now be one of my top outside advisors" as he tied her departure to the midterms.
Vice President JD Vance praised her effectiveness and said she did the job "with grace, wit and a smile on her face," while also pointing to the demands of balancing the role with raising a family.
The Reuters piece quoted Harrison Fields, Trump's former principal deputy press secretary, saying "Few could or will ever compare to Karoline," and described how she spoke Trump fluently and "played to her audience".
The Washington Post reported that Trump said Leavitt would continue to serve as an outside adviser and that the White House had not announced who would succeed her.
The Guardian said her departure three months before midterms raised questions over who would communicate Trump's messages as his approval rating fell to record low levels, citing YouGov polling.
Replacement Questions
Reuters said Leavitt leaves the White House as administration officials face reports from the Washington Post that Trump used a plane carrying cabinet officials, staff and journalists as a decoy when departing a NATO summit in Turkey in July.
“midterm elections due to be held on 3 November 2026”
The Guardian reported that the two most senior members of Trump's Cabinet, secretary of state Marco Rubio and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, flew out of last month's NATO summit in Turkey on what was effectively a decoy plane following an Iranian threat, while Trump was secretly moved to a smaller military jet.
The Washington Post said one of Leavitt's deputies, Abigail Jackson, also left this month, adding to staffing complications, and it reported that the White House had not announced who will succeed Leavitt.
The Guardian added that Leavitt's departure came less than three months before the midterm elections due to be held on 3 November 2026, and said the administration has not yet announced who will replace Leavitt.
In her own statement, Leavitt wrote that "My fight is entering a new phase, but it is far from over," and said she would remain a vocal advocate for MAGA and the Republican Party after leaving the White House.
