By Saqib S. Qureshi
WASHINGTON — White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt will leave her post at the end of August, President Donald Trump announced Wednesday, ending a high-profile tenure in which the 28-year-old became one of the administration’s most visible defenders and helped reshape how the White House dealt with the press.
Trump announced the departure as Leavitt said she wanted to devote more time to her family following the birth of her second child.
The president praised Leavitt’s performance and said she would not disappear from his political orbit. She is expected to continue working as an outside communications adviser and remain involved with Trump and the broader Republican movement.
No successor has been announced.
Leavitt became the youngest White House press secretary in U.S. history when Trump returned to office in January 2025.
Her departure removes one of the most recognizable public faces of Trump’s second administration at a politically sensitive moment, with Washington moving deeper into the 2026 midterm election season.
Leavitt had only recently returned to the White House following maternity leave after giving birth to her second child.
In announcing her decision, she described leaving the administration as a difficult choice and pointed to the challenge of balancing the intense demands of the White House with raising two young children.
But her departure also closes a distinctive chapter in the modern White House briefing room.
Working alongside White House communications director Steven Cheung, Leavitt helped pursue a media strategy that expanded access for podcasters, influencers and digital outlets while frequently clashing with established news organizations.
At her first briefing in January 2025, she announced that the administration would create a “new media” seat in the briefing room and invite independent journalists, podcasters and content creators to seek White House credentials.
The approach reflected a broader Trump strategy of communicating directly through social media and nontraditional platforms rather than relying primarily on the established White House press corps.
Leavitt’s relationship with Trump stretches back years.
She worked in the White House during his first administration, later served as communications director for Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik and unsuccessfully ran for Congress in New Hampshire in 2022.
She subsequently became a prominent spokesperson for Trump’s political operation and his 2024 presidential campaign before being selected as White House press secretary.
Her departure does not appear to represent a break with Trump.
Instead, Trump said Leavitt would continue advising from outside the administration — allowing one of his most prominent communications allies to remain connected to his political operation even after leaving the West Wing.
The immediate question inside Washington is now who Trump chooses to put behind the White House briefing-room podium next.
With the midterms approaching and the administration navigating major domestic and international challenges, the next press secretary will inherit one of Washington’s most visible — and combative — communications jobs.