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Leavitt steps down
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt announced she will leave the Trump administration at the end of the month to spend more time with her young family, with President Donald Trump saying he “totally understand[s] and respect[s]” her decision.
“will leave the Trump administration at the end of the month to spend more time with her young family”
Leavitt, 28, said in a social media post that “the constant time, energy, and attention required of the White House Press Secretary” meant she could not be “the best mom my two young children deserve,” and she described the move as “bittersweet.”
The Associated Press reported that Leavitt recently returned to the White House podium after the birth of her second child, a daughter named Viviana, in May, and she also has a 2-year-old son.
Trump did not outline plans for who might replace her, and the New York Times said her departure comes as he faces “the midterm elections in November” where he will need to sell policies she defended.
Who could replace her
Speculation in Washington, D.C., has centered on a “sharp-elbowed race” inside Donald Trump’s world for the prominent press secretary position, with several names circulating after Trump announced Leavitt would step down at the end of the month.
The Guardian listed Stephen Cheung as the White House communications director who has worked closely with Leavitt, and it also named Anna Kelly as Leavitt’s principal deputy press secretary who already works under her.
The Hill said Anna Kelly, the 29-year-old principal deputy press secretary, is “the natural successor to Leavitt,” and it described her as a fixture on Fox News and other cable networks defending the administration’s policies.
Fox News reported that the race is on with just two weeks left in the month and quoted former Trump press secretary Sean Spicer saying, “He values and understands the importance of this role in communicating his positions on policy, personnel and key issues.”
No replacement named yet
While Trump has not named a replacement, the BBC reported that “no decision has yet been made,” and it framed the job as involving managing “contentious relationships with the press” and coordinating across the White House.
“no decision has yet been made”
The BBC also quoted a source close to the administration saying, “That person will be very aware that he's watching every day,” and it noted that when Leavitt was on leave earlier this year, Vice-President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio gave press briefings.
The Hill said political observers are already guessing and taking bets on who could take her place, pointing to Kalshi rankings that placed Anna Kelly and Scott Jennings among the top contenders.
In parallel, the New York Times said Trump called Leavitt “one of the best White House Press Secretaries in the History of the Office,” and it reported that he did not name a replacement in his announcement nor a timeline for naming one.
