White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt is stepping back from her role at the end of the month, a surprise announcement that comes just weeks after she returned to the podium following a brief maternity leave.
President Donald Trump made the announcement Wednesday, saying she had made the decision as part of a decision to prioritize spending time with her “beautiful young children and family.”
“Karoline will now be one of my top outside advisors, and an influential voice within the Republican Party, as we work to defy History, and conclusively win the Midterm Elections,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
The president added that he “totally” understood and respected her decision.
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Serving as the White House Press Secretary over the past year and a half has been the honor and adventure of a lifetime. I am incredibly grateful to President Trump for granting me so many extraordinary opportunities, such as working in the West Wing and spending countless hours… https://t.co/4jyW61DGGh pic.twitter.com/xny1yccuBn
— Karoline Leavitt (@karolineleavitt) August 12, 2026
After giving birth to her second child in May, Leavitt returned to her role in mid-July. As the youngest White House press secretary in history, she has served since the start of Trump’s second term.
Leavitt, 28, is married to real estate developer Nicholas Riccio, and the couple has two children. Leavitt has brought their son to work with her at the White House, and she’s previously opened up about the challenges of being a working mom.
“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,” Leavitt wrote on X.
The White House did not provide a comment on who will replace Leavitt or if there are plans to immediately fill the role.
But the departure leaves the White House and Trump without their top messenger — besides Trump himself — before the midterms and as the Iran war continues.
Sources close to the White House and Leavitt were unsure, when asked by NOTUS, who the president would choose to pick up the mantle, or if the president would pick anyone at all.
Allies of Leavitt viewed her as one of the most powerful press secretaries in modern times, even if she didn’t brief consistently in front of the cameras. She was a mainstay in the office, present for many of the president’s private meetings and stayed active during her maternity leave.
One person close to the White House said that her replacement would almost certainly come from outside and not from the current press office.
Before becoming Trump’s top press aide, Leavitt ran for New Hampshire’s 1st Congressional District in 2022, but lost to Rep. Chris Pappas, the Democratic incumbent.
She has served in various press roles throughout her career, including as a communications director for Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-New York) and as a spokeswoman for MAGA Inc., a Trump-aligned super PAC.
This story has been updated with additional information.
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