White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, youngest person to hold role, to leave at month’s end

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, the youngest person to hold the role, will leave at month’s end, U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday (August 12, 2026).

Ms. Leavitt, 28, just recently returned to the White House after taking a brief leave for the birth of her second child in May.

Ms. Leavitt has been one of the most visible advocates of Mr. Trump’s “Make America Great Again” movement. The Republican president described her as one of his “most trusted aides” in a social media post announcing her departure.

He said Ms. Leavitt “will be departing her role at the end of the month so she can spend more time with her beautiful young children and family, a decision I totally understand and respect! Karoline will now be one of my top outside advisors, and an influential voice within the Republican Party, as we work to defy History, and conclusively win the Midterm Elections.”

Ms. Leavitt recently returned to work after taking leave following the birth of her second child, a daughter, in May. She also has a two-year-old son.

“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,” Ms. Leavitt said in a social media post.

Mr. Trump did not outline plans for who might replace her in the high-profile role.

She worked as a spokesperson for MAGA Inc., a super PAC supporting Mr. Trump, before joining his 2024 campaign. In 2022, she ran for Congress in New Hampshire, winning a 10-way Republican primary before losing to incumbent Democratic Rep. Chris Pappas.

During Mr. Trump’s first term in office, Leavitt worked as a press aide in the White House press office. She then became communications director for New York Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik.

Ms. Leavitt briefed from the White House press room less frequently than some of her recent predecessors. Mr. Trump, who regularly engages with reporters during White House events and during his travels, primarily deployed Ms. Leavitt to Fox News and other conservative news outlets to trumpet his agenda and take shots at Democrats and the mainstream media.

Mr. Trump’s first-term press secretaries were Sean Spicer and Sarah Huckabee Sanders, who were known for quarrelling with reporters. Another, Stephanie Grisham, never held a briefing. Her successor, Kayleigh McEnany, often lectured the news media during her appearances in the press briefing room.