White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt will step down at the end of August, President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday, less than a month after she returned from maternity leave. Leavitt, 28, is the youngest press secretary in White House history and cited a desire to spend more time with her two young children as the reason for her departure.
Trump said Leavitt would become “one of my top outside advisors” and work with the Republican Party ahead of the November midterm elections. In a post on X, Leavitt wrote that balancing motherhood with “one of the most demanding jobs in the world” had made her realize she could not be the best mother her children deserved while serving as press secretary.
Leavitt returned to the White House for a press briefing on July 16, just weeks after giving birth to her daughter, Viviana, on May 1. She has two young children with her husband, real estate developer Nicholas Riccio. Trump appointed her to the press secretary role when he returned to the White House in January 2025, making her the youngest person ever to hold the position.
The White House has not yet announced a successor, though multiple names are being discussed. According to reporting, potential candidates include Alina Habba, Steven Cheung, Anna Kelly, and Scott Jennings. Kelly currently serves as principal deputy press secretary at the White House and has been described as a natural successor to Leavitt.
Leavitt’s departure continues a pattern of significant turnover in Trump’s administration. During his first term from January 2017 to January 2021, Trump had four different press secretaries. According to reporting on his current second term, 27 Senate-confirmed officials in Cabinet departments have departed the administration in the first 18 months, and Trump’s overall staff turnover has reached historic levels compared to his predecessors.
When Leavitt stepped down, she will be the second-longest-serving press secretary under Trump, trailing only one other. Her exit comes amid broader personnel changes in the administration, with multiple senior officials departing or facing scrutiny in recent weeks.
Sources
- CNBC — Leavitt’s resignation announcement, her maternity leave timeline, and Trump’s statement about her future role
- NBC News — Leavitt’s age as the youngest press secretary and her departure timeline
- USA Today — Leavitt’s tenure as second-longest-serving press secretary under Trump, and successor candidates
- BBC News — Confirmation of her departure at month’s end and that no successor has been announced
- CNN — Successor candidates and reporting on the search process
- Al Jazeera — Leavitt’s reason for departure and her second child’s birth date
- CNN (July 2026) — Trump administration turnover figures for the second term
