Karoline Leavitt to Step Down as White House Press Secretary
Karoline Leavitt will step away from her position as White House Press Secretary at the end of this month, President Trump announced on Wednesday.
In a Truth Social post, Trump said Leavitt, 28, will depart her role to spend more time with her family. Leavitt gave birth to her second child Viviana in May.
“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,” Trump added.
It is unclear who will replace Leavitt as White House press secretary. TIME has reached out to the White House for comment.
Leavitt thanked Trump and the White House team in a lengthy post on X, and added that she will remain “a vocal advocate for MAGA and the Republican Party. ”
“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,” Leavitt said.
“It has been a privilege to serve alongside so many accomplished and impressive people, and I look forward to cheering them on over the next two and a half years,” she added.
Leavitt has worked for Trump since 2018, beginning as a White House intern in the Office of Presidential Correspondence while a student at Saint Anselm College in New Hampshire. She briefly worked as Communications Director for Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik, one of the top House Republicans from New York, and later launched a failed congressional campaign in New Hampshire against Democratic incumbent Chris Pappas.
After losing her campaign, Leavitt joined Trump’s third presidential campaign, working as a spokesperson for his super PAC, MAGA Inc. In January 2024, she became national press secretary for Trump's presidential campaign. She gave birth to her first child Niko in July 2024, four days before returning to work following the first assassination attempt on Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania, according to CNN.
Karoline Leavitt, Youngest White House Press Secretary, Makes Her Debut in the Briefing Room
Reporting from Time contributed to this story.
