Trump says Karoline Leavitt resigning as White House press secretary

watch now

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt will leave that post by the end of August, President Donald Trump said on Wednesday.

Leavitt's departure was announced less than a month after she returned to the White House after having been on maternity leave for the birth of her daughter on May 1.

Leavitt, 28, is resigning "so she can spend more time with her beautiful young children and family, a decision I totally understand and respect!" Trump said in a Truth Social post announcing her planned departure.

The president said that Leavitt will become "one of my top outside advisors" and work with the Republican Party to win the upcoming midterm elections in November.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt speaks during a press briefing in the Brady Briefing Room of the White House in Washington, July 16, 2026.

Saul Loeb | AFP | Getty Images

Leavitt, who has served as White House press secretary since Trump returned to the White House in January 2025, has two young children with her husband, real estate developer Nicholas Riccio.

She gave birth to her daughter, Viviana, on May 1, days after going on maternity leave.

Leavitt returned to the White House for a press briefing on July 16.

In a post on X on Wednesday, Leavitt said, "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."

"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 wrote.

Leavitt is the youngest White House press secretary ever.

Trump had four White House press secretaries during his first term, from January 2017 to January 2021.

— CNBC's Ryan Ruggiero contributed to this article

Reporting from CNBC contributed to this story.