In brief
At the end of August, Donald Trump announced that his trusted spokesperson, Karoline Leavitt, will step down as White House Press Secretary. Leavitt, who became the youngest to hold the post at 28, said she needed to focus on her family after the birth of her second child. Trump added she will remain a key adviser and an influential voice within the Republican Party. Leavitt’s departure leaves the question of her successor open as she balances parental responsibilities with a demanding political career. The move underscores the intense pressures of the role and the Trump's administration’s preference for maintaining strong political ties.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt will step down from her position at the end of the month, President Donald Trump has announced.
Leavitt, whom the president called one of his "most trusted aides", will depart from her role to spend time with her young children and family – "a decision I totally understand and respect", Trump wrote in a social media post.
"Karoline will now be one of my top outside advisors, and an influential voice within the Republican Party," he added.
Leavitt, 28, took the job as White House Press Secretary last year – becoming the youngest person ever to hold the role. It was not immediately clear who will replace her.
Leavitt welcomed her second child, a baby girl, with husband Nicholas Riccio in May. She also has a two‑year‑old son. She returned to work from maternity leave last month.
She wrote on X following the president's announcement that her job has been "the honor and adventure of a lifetime".
"Being a mother and welcoming a new baby while working in one of the most demanding jobs in the world has been the most rewarding yet challenging season of my life, to say the least," she wrote.
"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," she continued.
Before her tenure at the White House, Leavitt worked with Trump as an assistant press secretary and speech writer during his first term. She then became a top aide to New York Republican congresswoman Elise Stefanik as communications director.
In 2022, Leavitt ran unsuccessfully for Congress in New Hampshire, winning the contested Republican primary before losing to Democrat Chris Pappas. She later became a spokesperson for Maga Inc – a pro‑Trump fundraising group – before joining his 2024 campaign as national press secretary.
