Outgoing White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed she will join the Trump-aligned MAGA Inc. super PAC after leaving her post at the end of August, a move that keeps one of the president's most visible communicators inside the Republican midterms operation.
Leavitt broke the news Friday evening outside Air Force One, telling reporters the super PAC would be her next stop as the presidential party flew to Myrtle Beach, S.C., for a rally headlined by Sen. Lindsey Graham. She did not say what her title at MAGA Inc. would be, The Hill reported, but made clear she was not stepping away from the political arena.
The landing spot is a familiar one. Leavitt served as a spokesperson for MAGA Inc. before joining Trump's 2024 campaign, and the PAC is reportedly sitting on more than $350 million in campaign funds ahead of November's midterm elections, a figure attributed to a Politico report. For a party gearing up for a critical election cycle, parking a battle-tested communicator at the organization holding that war chest is a practical decision, not a ceremonial one.
Leavitt announced roughly a week before Friday's confirmation that she would step down at the end of August to spend more time with her family. She had returned from maternity leave only in mid-July and decided shortly afterward to leave the role permanently.
Trump, speaking to reporters Friday, acknowledged the scramble her exit has triggered.
"I will tell you this, and Karoline will tell you this, I have never seen so many job applications in my life."
The White House has not named a replacement. Two names have surfaced as top contenders: CNN conservative commentator Scott Jennings and Katie Miller, wife of White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller. The jockeying to fill the podium has been public and fast-moving, though neither Jennings nor Miller has confirmed interest or received a formal offer, based on available reporting.
Other figures have already bowed out. Alina Habba removed herself from consideration earlier, narrowing the field. Trump himself joked about taking the briefing room podium, a quip that drew attention but underscored the reality that no successor has been announced.
MAGA Inc. is not a soft landing. The super PAC functions as one of the Republican Party's most powerful outside spending vehicles, and with more than $350 million reportedly on hand, it will be a central player in every competitive House and Senate race this fall. Leavitt's arrival puts a communicator who has spent the past two years fielding hostile questions from the White House podium directly into the midterms messaging machine.
Leavitt told reporters Friday that the Myrtle Beach rally would be her last official outing as press secretary. But she signaled she would remain visible on the campaign trail, saying she plans to join the president at September's GOP convention in Dallas.
"You guys will still see me all the time."
Trump had previously said Leavitt would continue working with the White House as one of his "top advisers" and serve as an "influential voice within the Republican Party." In an earlier social media post on X, Leavitt said her "fight" against the Democratic Party would not end once she vacated the post. The MAGA Inc. role gives that pledge a concrete address.
Before joining Trump's 2024 campaign, Leavitt cut her teeth as a MAGA Inc. spokesperson, a fact that makes her return less a career pivot than a homecoming. The broader succession story will continue until the White House names someone to face the briefing room cameras. But Leavitt's own next chapter is settled.
Several questions hang over the transition. Leavitt did not elaborate on what her title at MAGA Inc. would be, or what specific portfolio she would carry. Whether she will focus on paid media, earned media strategy, or candidate support, or all three, remains unclear.
On the replacement front, Trump's comment about the flood of applications suggests the decision is still open. The White House has given no timeline for naming a successor, and the end of August is days away.
Washington loses press secretaries all the time. It does not always gain a communicator with White House credentials, a $350 million budget behind her, and a midterm election ten weeks out. Democrats should expect to hear from Karoline Leavitt plenty, just from a different podium.
