Karoline Leavitt, 28, will leave her post as White House press secretary at the end of August, saying the demands of the job made it difficult to balance raising two young children. President Trump announced her departure on Aug. 12 and praised her as a trusted aide. Leavitt recently returned from maternity leave and plans to remain a senior adviser to the president. Her exit marks the fifth person to hold the press secretary role across Trump’s presidencies.
Karoline Leavitt to Step Down as White House Press Secretary at End of August
The 5 White House press secretaries of Trump's presidencies
Karoline Leavitt, the youngest person to serve as White House press secretary, announced she will leave the role at the end of August, citing the challenge of balancing the demands of the job with raising two young children.
President Donald Trump posted news of Leavitt's departure on social media on Aug. 12, calling her "one of my most trusted aides." Leavitt, 28, recently returned from maternity leave after the birth of her second child and said stepping down from the high-profile post was a difficult but necessary decision.
"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," Leavitt wrote on X. "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."
Leavitt said she will continue to serve as a senior adviser to the president after leaving the press secretary post, closing out one of the longer tenures in that role during President Trump's administrations.
A Look Back at Her Tenure
During her time in the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room, Leavitt led briefings on a range of topics. Notably, on March 30, 2026, she addressed developments related to the conflict in Iran and questions about funding for the Department of Homeland Security.
Press Secretaries Who Served Under Trump
- Sean Spicer (Jan. 20, 2017 – July 21, 2017)
- Sarah Huckabee Sanders (July 21, 2017 – July 1, 2019)
- Stephanie Grisham (July 1, 2019 – April 7, 2020)
- Kayleigh McEnany (April 7, 2020 – Jan. 20, 2021)
- Karoline Leavitt (Jan. 20, 2025 – Aug. 2026)
Leavitt's decision underscores the intense time and energy required by the White House press secretary role and highlights the work–family trade-offs faced by people in senior public-facing positions. She will remain involved in the administration as an adviser after her departure.
President Donald Trump says White House Press SecretaryKaroline Leavitt(center) will leave her role at the end of August. Take a look back at her tenure in the administration.(Anna Moneymaker, Getty Images)
White House Press SecretaryKaroline Leavittspeaks during a news briefing at the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House on March 30, 2026 in Washington, DC. Leavitt discussed a wide range of topics, including the conflict in Iran and funding for the Department of Homeland Security.(Alex Wong, Getty Images)
Turning Point USA leader Erika Kirk, left, interviews White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt on April 2, 2026, in Washington, DC.(Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
Trump 2024 National Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt speaks at a press conference during former U.S. President Donald Trump's hush money trial near Manhattan Criminal Court on May 28, 2024 in New York City.(Michael M. Santiago, Getty Images)
Trump campaign press secretary Karoline Leavitt (C) and Trump adviser Jason Miller (L) arrive at the criminal trial of former US President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump's criminal trial at Manhattan Criminal Court in New York City on May 29, 2024.(Pool photo by Doug Mills, via AFP/Getty Images)
President Donald Trump's new Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt (C) talks with reporters after talking to FOX News on her first full day of work at the White House on Jan. 21, 2025 in Washington, DC.(Chip Somodevilla, Getty Images)
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt takes questions during the daily briefing in the Brady Briefing Room of the White House in Washington, DC, on Jan. 28, 2025. At 27-years-old, Leavitt is the youngest White House Press Secretary in history.(Roberto Schmidt, AFP via Getty Images)
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt takes a question from a reporter during the daily press briefing at the White House on March 11, 2025 in Washington, DC.(Andrew Harnik, Getty Images)
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt walks up to a group reporters following a television interview outside the West Wing on March 20, 2025 in Washington, DC.(Chip Somodevilla, Getty Images)
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt walks back to the West Wing after speaking to reporters following a television interview on the North Lawn of the White House on March 31, 2025 in Washington, DC.(Andrew Harnik, Getty Images)
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt and her husband Nicholas Riccio arrive to the White House Easter Egg Roll on the South Lawn of the White House on April 21, 2025 in Washington, DC.(Chip Somodevilla, Getty Images)
Reporters raise their hands to ask questions as White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt speaks during the daily briefing in the Brady Briefing Room of the White House in Washington, DC, on June 3, 2025.(BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI, AFP via Getty Images)
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt speaks during the daily press briefing in the Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House on July 7, 2025 in Washington, DC.(Andrew Harnik, Getty Images)
President Donald Trump, alongside White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, speaks to reporters on his way to board Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House on July 15, 2025, in Washington, DC.(JIM WATSON, AFP via Getty Images)
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt answers questions from reporters outside the White House on July 21, 2025 in Washington, DC.(Kevin Dietsch, Getty Images)
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt watches as U.S. President Donald Trump talks to reporters as he departs the White House on July 25, 2025 in Washington, DC.(Chip Somodevilla, Getty Images)
President Donald Trump, Attorney General Pam Bondi (C), and White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt (L) attend the Men's Singles Final match between Jannik Sinner of Italy and Carlos Alcaraz of Spain Day Fifteen of the 2025 US Open at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on Sept. 7, 2025 in New York City.(Sarah Stier, Getty Images)
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt arrives for the daily press briefing in the Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House on Sept. 9, 2025 in Washington, DC.(Win McNamee, Getty Images)
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt speaks during the daily press briefing in the Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House on Sept. 22, 2025 in Washington, DC.(Andrew Harnik, Getty Images)
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt holds up a picture of a previous renovation of the White House during the daily news briefing at the James Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House on Oct. 23, 2025 in Washington, DC.(Alex Wong, Getty Images)
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt steps off a blackhawk support helicopter before President Donald Trump arrives for a troop event aboard the USS George Washington at Fleet Activities Yokosuka on Oct. 28, 2025 in Yokosuka, Japan.(Andrew Harnik, Getty Images)
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt speaks during the daily press briefing in the Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House on Nov. 12, 2025 in Washington, DC.(Win McNamee, Getty Images)
Help us improve.
