White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt to leave Trump administration at end of August

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, 28, will depart the Trump administration at the end of August, President Donald Trump announced, with Leavitt citing the difficulty of combining the pressures of the role with motherhood after returning from parental leave following the birth of her second child in May 2026.

Leavitt took on the press secretary role in January 2025 at the start of Trump's second term, becoming, at age 27, the youngest person ever to hold the position. She has a 2-year-old son and a daughter, named Viviana according to PBS NewsHour, born in May 2026.

In a post on X, Leavitt described her tenure as 'the honor and adventure of a lifetime' and said the role had allowed her to work in the West Wing, spend time in the Oval Office, travel internationally and meet foreign leaders, and travel across the United States. She called her decision to leave 'bittersweet,' writing that since returning after her daughter's birth she had felt she '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.'

Trump posted on his Truth Social platform that Leavitt was stepping down to spend more time with her family, describing it as 'a decision I totally understand and respect.' He indicated she would continue in his orbit, writing that she would be 'one of my top outside advisors, and an influential voice within the Republican Party' as he pursues midterm election goals. He described her as 'one of the best White House Press Secretaries in the History of the Office,' according to Deutsche Welle.

Trump did not announce a successor for the role, according to PBS NewsHour.

Before becoming press secretary, Leavitt worked in the White House press office during Trump's first term. She subsequently served as communications director for New York Republican Representative Elise Stefanik. In 2022, she ran for a House seat in New Hampshire, winning a ten-way Republican primary before losing the general election to Democratic incumbent Representative Chris Pappas, according to PBS NewsHour. She also worked as a spokesperson for MAGA Inc., a super PAC supporting Trump, before joining his 2024 campaign.

According to Deutsche Welle, Leavitt initially aspired to be a journalist before entering politics, and during Trump's first term worked in the press office under then-spokeswoman Kayleigh McEnany.

During her tenure, Leavitt briefed from the press room less frequently than some recent predecessors, according to PBS NewsHour, with Trump primarily deploying her to Fox News and other conservative outlets. Deutsche Welle reported that she staunchly defended Trump's hard-line policies, deflected questions about the president's connections to Jeffrey Epstein, and was known for criticising mainstream media outlets in line with Trump's stated hostility toward reporters.

Deutsche Welle noted that Leavitt's very first press conference, on January 28, 2025, was notable for what the outlet characterised as a false claim that $50 million in US taxpayer money had been earmarked to buy condoms in the Gaza Strip.

Where sources differ

• PBS NewsHour reports Trump announced the departure on Wednesday; Deutsche Welle states Trump made the announcement on Tuesday. The two outlets differ on the day of the announcement.
• PBS NewsHour describes Leavitt's background in the White House during Trump's first term without specifying she worked directly under Kayleigh McEnany; Deutsche Welle specifies she worked under McEnany during that period.

• No successor for the press secretary role has been named or publicly identified in either source.
• The precise last date of Leavitt's service within the month of August has not been specified.
• The nature and scope of the 'outside advisor' role Trump referenced has not been detailed.
• Neither source provides independent verification of Deutsche Welle's characterisation of Leavitt's Gaza condom claim as false, or elaborates on the evidentiary basis for that characterisation.
• No comment from the White House communications office or other administration officials beyond Trump's own post is included in either source.

1. PBS NewsHour — original
2. Deutsche Welle — by Timothy Jones
3. The Jerusalem Post — by REUTERS

Read the original at PBS NewsHour

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