Who Will Replace Karoline Leavitt? 10 Contenders Emerge for Trump’s Next Press Secretary

Karoline Leavitt announced she will step down as White House press secretary at the end of August to spend more time with her two young children. Her surprise departure has prompted wide speculation about who President Donald Trump will tap as his next chief spokesperson — a high-profile role that shapes the administration’s public messaging.

Alina Habba, counselor to U.S. President Donald Trump, attends the commencement ceremony at West Point Military Academy in West Point, New York, U.S., May 24, 2025.

What the Press Secretary Role Entails

White House press secretaries are best known for standing at the briefing-room lectern, answering reporters’ questions and setting the public tone for the president’s agenda. Trump has emphasized telegenic, authoritative personalities — what he calls "central casting" — and has often chosen unconventional candidates: Leavitt, at 28, was the youngest press secretary in White House history.

Scott Jennings

Ten Names Getting Early Attention

Alina Habba — Former Personal Attorney

Habba gained national attention in 2024 as President Trump’s defense counsel in New York. After the 2024 election she served as counselor to the president and was later nominated to be U.S. attorney for New Jersey; she resigned in December after a federal appeals court ruled her service unlawful because she had not been Senate-confirmed. Habba has frequently appeared on television defending the president.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt speaks as she holds a press briefing at the White House in Washington, D.C.. Anna Kelly, third from left, watches on. March 4, 2026.

Scott Jennings — Conservative Commentator

Jennings is a senior political contributor for CNN and a radio host known for combative exchanges with Democrats and viral television moments. The Kentucky native published a pro-Trump book last year, and his media visibility has made him a frequent name in early speculation.

Katie Miller, wife of White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy Stephen Miller, and White House Deputy Chief of Staff Dan Scavino attend a press conference with U.S. President Donald Trump and Elon Musk, at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., May 30, 2025.

Anna Kelly — Principal Deputy Press Secretary

Kelly is currently Leavitt’s principal deputy and has increasingly represented the White House on-camera, particularly on Fox News, discussing foreign-policy issues such as the U.S. conflict with Iran. At 29, she would continue the trend of relatively young, high-profile press secretaries in this administration.

Matthew Boyle reacts during a meeting with U.S. Vice President JD Vance (not pictured), at a Breitbart News policy event in Washington, D.C., U.S., November 20, 2025.

Katie Miller — Former Pence Press Secretary

Miller served as press secretary to Vice President Mike Pence and is married to former White House adviser Stephen Miller. She recently worked in a Trump administration office called the Department of Government Efficiency, which has been associated with tech executive Elon Musk, and left last August to launch a podcast that features current and former Trump officials.

White House Communications Director Stephen Cheung, Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, White House Deputy Chief of Staff Dan Scavino, Deputy Chief of Staff Taylor Budowich and White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles sit together in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, May 13, 2025.

Matthew Boyle — Breitbart Washington Bureau Chief

Boyle’s close ties to conservative media and multiple interviews with Trump — including an Oval Office sit-down — make him a potential pick if the president favors a press secretary with strong media-network connections. Conservative outlets have noted his prominence among Trump allies.

Founder and CEO of Daravi Strategies Roma Daravi arrives on the red carpet, on the day comedian Bill Maher receives the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor at the Kennedy Center, in Washington, D.C., U.S., June 28, 2026.

Steven Cheung — White House Communications Director

Cheung leads the communications office in Trump’s second term and is known as a loyal, tough, behind-the-scenes operator. Moving from communications director to the on-camera press secretary role would be a notable shift in responsibilities for him.

Trump campaign senior adviser Jason Miller in the Spin Room after Republican JD Vance and Democrat Tim Walz squared off during the CBS News vice presidential debate in 2024

Taylor Budowich — Longtime Trump Adviser

Budowich, who left the White House last September for the private sector, previously served as deputy chief of staff overseeing communications and Cabinet affairs. He has worked as a campaign spokesman and helped manage the pro-Trump super PAC Make America Great Again Inc.

Kari Lake, U.S. President Trump’s nominee to be U.S. ambassador to Jamaica, participates in a U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee nominations hearing in Washington, D.C., U.S., June 18, 2026.

Roma Daravi — Former Deputy Communications Director

Daravi served as deputy communications director during Trump’s first term and is now vice president of public relations at the Kennedy Center. Though less well known to some audiences, she has attracted attention on live-betting markets as a possible contender.

Jason Miller — Longtime Campaign Spokesperson

Miller has worked in senior communications roles across all three of Trump’s presidential campaigns and returned to the White House this summer to help with messaging ahead of the midterms. He previously worked as a lobbyist after the 2024 election before rejoining Trump’s team.

Kari Lake — Former News Anchor and Political Candidate

Lake is a high-profile conservative media figure who ran for governor and later for U.S. Senate in Arizona. Trump nominated her in May to serve as U.S. ambassador to Jamaica; if confirmed by the Senate, that post would preclude her from serving as White House press secretary.

Where Things Stand

No official successor has been named, and some names are also being tracked on betting markets such as Kalshi. The shortlist mixes inside aides, media figures and longtime Trump loyalists — all candidates who could both communicate the president’s message and withstand frequent public scrutiny. No announcement is expected before Leavitt’s planned departure at the end of August.