Karoline Leavitt Resigns as White House Press Secretary, Will Stay On as Outside Adviser

Karoline Leavitt is stepping down as White House press secretary at the end of August. President Trump announced her departure Wednesday on Truth Social, saying she was leaving to spend more time with her young children and family. Leavitt, 28, has served in the role since Trump’s second term began in January 2025, making her the youngest person ever to hold the position in US history.
Trump wrote that Leavitt would continue as one of his top outside advisers and an influential voice within the Republican Party heading into the November midterm elections. He described her as one of his most trusted aides and said her decision was one he totally understood and respected.

In Her Own Words

Leavitt posted her own statement on X shortly after Trump’s announcement. She wrote that returning to the White House after the birth of her daughter made her realize she could not give her two young children what they deserved while also meeting the demands of one of the most intense jobs in the country. She called the decision bittersweet and said serving as press secretary was the greatest honor of her professional life. She also said Trump had asked her to continue as a top outside adviser and that she would remain a vocal advocate for the Republican Party and the MAGA movement.

Who She Is

Leavitt grew up in Atkinson, New Hampshire, where her family ran an ice cream stand and her father owned a used truck dealership. She graduated from Saint Anselm College and began her political career as an assistant press secretary during Trump’s first term. She left the White House before that term ended, later ran unsuccessfully for Congress in New Hampshire, and then joined Trump’s super PAC before becoming his national press secretary during the 2024 presidential campaign. During that campaign, she gave birth to her first child and returned to work just four days into her maternity leave after the assassination attempt on Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania. She married Nicholas Riccio in 2025 and gave birth to her second child, a daughter, in May 2026.

What She Did in the Role

Leavitt defended the White House through some of the most significant stories of Trump’s second term, including the Signalgate scandal, the release of the Epstein files, and the Iran war. She was known for being confrontational with the press corps and for pushing back against what she described as media bias. She also supported the administration’s decision to expand briefing room access to influencers and conservative-friendly media personalities alongside traditional outlets. During her maternity leave earlier this year, no interim press secretary was named. Instead, Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent took turns at the podium.

What Comes Next

Her departure comes fewer than three months before the midterm elections, a timing that multiple White House sources described as significant. As of Wednesday afternoon, no replacement had been named and it was not immediately clear to some White House staff who would take over the role. Trump’s post suggested Leavitt’s outside adviser role would keep her involved in Republican messaging through November.
Source: CNN, NBC News, NPR, CBS News, Axios, CNBC