Karoline Leavitt, youngest-ever White House press secretary, steps down

Karoline Leavitt, the youngest person ever to serve as White House press secretary, is stepping down from the role at the end of August. President Donald Trump announced her departure on social media, calling her one of his "most trusted aides" and saying she would continue as a "top outside advisor" and "influential voice within the Republican Party."

Why she is leaving

Leavitt, who is 28, gave birth to her second child, a daughter, in May and returned from a seven-week maternity leave only last month. In a post on X she described the role as the "honor and adventure of a lifetime" but said she had come to feel she could not be the "best mom" she wanted to be while holding the position. She did not announce specific future plans.

A combative tenure

During her time in the briefing room, Leavitt was known for an aggressive relationship with the mainstream press. She seized control of the White House press pool from the White House Correspondents' Association and barred the Associated Press from the pool after the news agency refused to refer to the Gulf of Mexico by the Trump-preferred name "Gulf of America." Supporters praised her for staying consistently on message, and Trump allies described her as someone who had served the administration with fierce loyalty.

Career path

Before taking the press secretary role, Leavitt had served as assistant press secretary and speechwriter during Trump's first term, then as communications director for Representative Elise Stefanik. She ran for Congress in New Hampshire in 2022, winning the Republican primary but losing the general election to Democrat Chris Pappas. She went on to work as a spokesperson for MAGA Inc and as Trump's national press secretary for his 2024 campaign. She is considered the second longest-serving press secretary across Trump's two administrations, behind Sarah Huckabee Sanders. Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller called her a "close friend" and a "role model," adding: "Her story is just beginning." During her maternity leave, Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum took turns at the podium. No replacement has been announced.