Karoline Leavitt, the youngest White House press secretary in history, is leaving the podium at the end of August to focus on raising her two young children, but she won't be leaving Trump's orbit.
President Trump announced Leavitt's departure and said she would move into a role as one of his top outside advisors, a position aimed at helping Republicans win the midterm elections. Leavitt, 28, confirmed the decision in a lengthy post on X, calling the job "the honor and adventure of a lifetime" while acknowledging she could no longer meet its demands and be the mother she wants to be.
The move comes just weeks after Leavitt returned from maternity leave following the birth of her second child, a daughter named Viviana, in May. She also has a two-year-old son. No successor has been named.
Leavitt did not frame her exit as a retreat. She framed it as a choice between two things she takes seriously, and an honest admission that the math doesn't work.
Fox News reported that Leavitt addressed the decision directly in her post:
"Being a mother and welcoming a new baby while working in one of the most demanding jobs in the world has been the most rewarding yet challenging season of my life, to say the least. 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, and that is why I have ultimately made the bittersweet decision to depart the White House and embark on a new chapter in my life."
She added that Trump asked her to continue serving as a top advisor on the outside, and pledged to stay active in Republican politics. "My fight is entering a new phase, but it is far from over," she wrote.
Leavitt first joined Trump's operation in 2018, according to the president's own statement. She served in the White House press office during Trump's first term, then became the national press secretary for his 2024 campaign before taking the podium in January 2025. At 28, she was the youngest person ever to hold the title, and, as the New York Post noted, the first White House press secretary to give birth while serving in the role.
The president did not hold back in his praise. Trump said he "totally understands and respects" Leavitt's choice to spend more time with her family, then went further:
"Karoline has been a real leader in the White House, and has done a phenomenal job fighting for Justice, Liberty, and Freedom, since 2018, including our Historic Re-Election Campaign of 2024. Karoline has been one of the best White House Press Secretaries in the History of the Office. Thank you, Karoline, for a job well done!"
Trump also made clear that the relationship is not ending. He said Leavitt would become "an influential voice within the Republican Party, as we work to defy History, and conclusively win the Midterm Elections." AP News confirmed that Leavitt's outside advisory role will focus on those midterm efforts.
Vice President JD Vance acknowledged the difficulty of the press secretary job and the particular burden it places on a young parent. He praised Leavitt for handling "the relentless attacks from the fake news media" with "grace, wit and a smile on her face."
Vance added:
"I've had the opportunity to get to know Karoline over the past few years, and I know how difficult yet rewarding a constant job like this can be for a young parent. We're sad to see her go, but I know she'll continue to do great things."
White House chief of staff Susie Wiles called Leavitt "nothing short of extraordinary" and said she had taken on "one of the toughest jobs in Washington with confidence, discipline, grace and an unmatched ability to deliver the President's message." Wiles added bluntly: "Simply put, you are the greatest @PressSec."
Secretary of State Marco Rubio called Leavitt "a critical part of President Trump's team" and wished her family well. FBI Director Kash Patel posted on X: "A true friend and one of the greatest to ever stand at that podium. You handled the job with strength and clarity."
Trump has not named a successor. But the speculation started immediately.
The Washington Examiner identified four potential replacements. Anna Kelly, 29, currently serves as Leavitt's principal deputy press secretary and second-in-command, and has taken on a growing television and radio presence representing the White House. Kingsley Wilson, the Department of Defense press secretary, was the youngest person ever appointed to that Pentagon role at age 26. Sean Parnell, who leads public affairs for the War Department, and Alina Habba, Trump's former acting U.S. attorney for New Jersey, also emerged as candidates. Habba ranks among the top bets on the Kalshi prediction market.
Whoever steps behind that podium will inherit a job Leavitt herself described as "one of the most demanding jobs in the world." That is not hyperbole. The White House press secretary fields hostile questions on live television, coordinates messaging across an entire administration, and does it all under a media environment that treats every briefing as an adversarial proceeding.
Leavitt managed it for roughly a year and a half. She did it while pregnant, while on maternity leave, and while raising a toddler. She leaves on her own terms, with the full-throated support of the president, the vice president, and the senior staff around them.
In Washington, that counts as a clean exit, and a rare one. The fact that Leavitt chose family over the spotlight says more about her priorities than any briefing ever could.
