White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt will leave her post at the end of August, US President Donald Trump announced Wednesday, marking a significant shakeup in the administration’s communications team less than three months before the midterm elections.
Trump described Leavitt as “one of my most trusted aides,” saying in a social media post that she was stepping aside “to spend more time with her beautiful young children and family, a decision I totally understand and respect.”
He added that she will continue to serve as an outside adviser.
Leavitt’s departure comes at a politically difficult moment for Trump, who is contending with low approval ratings, high gas prices, and criticism that he has not focused enough on the nation’s most pressing problems amid the ongoing war with Iran, CNN reports.
At 28, Leavitt made history as the youngest‑ever White House press secretary and the first woman to hold the role while pregnant.
She returned to the briefing room podium last month after a short maternity leave, balancing the demands of the job with caring for her two young children.
Leavitt first served in a junior role during Trump’s initial term but rose to become one of his most loyal and combative spokespeople in his second.
Known for her aggressive defense of Trump’s policies, she frequently sparred with reporters while cultivating a strong presence on social media, where she also portrayed herself as a devoted wife and mother.
In her own statement Wednesday, Leavitt called the decision “bittersweet,” writing: “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.”
Trump has long demanded much from those who speak for him. After the birth of her daughter on 1 May, Leavitt took about a month of leave, during which Trump repeatedly checked in and asked when she would return, according to a person familiar with the discussions.
When her first child was born in July 2024, she took only four days off before rejoining the campaign trail immediately after Trump survived an assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania.
Reflecting on that period in an interview with Megyn Kelly, Leavitt said, “It kind of threw me right back to work much sooner than I would have probably expected or hoped.”
Upon resuming her duties last month, she acknowledged the difficulty of balancing motherhood with the demands of the role but said, “I view this as more than job — I view this as public service.”
Leavitt previously ran for Congress in New Hampshire after Trump’s first term, losing in the general election. She later became a key figure in Trump’s 2024 campaign, quickly rising into his inner circle.
As the 2026 midterms approach, she is expected to remain a prominent voice outside the White House.
“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.
