Karoline Leavitt, the youngest press secretary ever to stand behind the White House podium, announced Wednesday that she is stepping down from her post at the end of August, closing out a historic eighteen-month run that made her one of only a handful of women to ever hold the job — and, notably, the first to do it while raising a newborn.
President Donald Trump broke the news first, posting on Truth Social at 2:34 p.m. on Wednesday, August 12, 2026. “Our wonderful White House Press Secretary, and one of my most trusted aides, Karoline 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!” Trump wrote. He added that Leavitt “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.”
Eight minutes later, Leavitt confirmed the decision in her own words, posting a lengthy statement on X that laid out both her gratitude for the role and the personal reasoning behind her exit.
Leavitt’s Full Statement
“Serving as the White House Press Secretary over the past year and a half has been the honor and adventure of a lifetime. I am incredibly grateful to President Trump for granting me so many extraordinary opportunities, such as working in the West Wing and spending countless hours in the Oval Office, flying around the world and meeting foreign leaders, and traveling across our beautiful country and meeting Americans from all walks of life,” Leavitt wrote.
“Most of all, I am thankful to the President for entrusting me with the distinct privilege of speaking on his behalf at the White House podium. I have spoken with great pride about the many historic accomplishments of this Administration, and I have relished holding the liberal media accountable and ensuring the American people hear the truth about President Trump’s successes,” she continued.
Then came the heart of her announcement — a candid reflection on motherhood colliding with one of the most demanding jobs in American politics. “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.
She made clear, however, that her political voice isn’t going anywhere. “President Trump has asked me to continue serving as a top advisor to him on the outside, and I will always remain a vocal advocate for MAGA and the Republican Party,” she said. “Our country is facing an existential threat from an increasingly extremist Democrat Party that seeks to destroy everything great about America, and I believe it is incumbent upon all of us who care about this country to fight back against that threat. My fight is entering a new phase, but it is far from over.”
Leavitt closed with a round of thank-yous to the people around her. “Thank you again to the President, the First Lady, and the entire Trump family for your kindness and generosity over the years. Thank you to our amazing Chief of Staff Susie Wiles for empowering me since the day she hired me on the campaign, and to the President’s cabinet, my staff, colleagues, and friends at the White House who work so hard on behalf of our nation. 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 wrote, before adding a final note of thanks “to my loving and supportive husband and family for the sacrifices they made for me to serve in this role.”
A Trailblazer Behind The Podium
Leavitt, 28, made history in January 2025 when she took the podium at age 27, becoming the youngest White House press secretary in the history of the office. Her tenure also places her among a small and notable group: Leavitt is one of only eight women to have ever served in the role.
Her time in the job coincided with one of the more personal milestones any press secretary has navigated at the podium. Leavitt gave birth to her second child in May, making her the first White House press secretary to have a child while serving in the role. She returned to briefings from maternity leave on July 16, only weeks before announcing her departure.
Balancing The Briefing Room And Motherhood
During Leavitt’s maternity leave, the daily rhythm of the West Wing’s communications operation visibly shifted. Press briefings became significantly less frequent, with the podium instead filled by top officials including Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio — guest appearances that came with varying levels of success.
Vance, who filled in during her absence, spoke to the demands of the job himself in a reaction posted to X following the announcement. He said Leavitt “has one of the hardest jobs in the Administration,” adding, “and I know how difficult yet rewarding a constant job like this can” be — a nod to the balancing act Leavitt described in her own statement.
From Campaign Trail To Trusted Voice
Leavitt’s path to the West Wing began years before she ever stood at the podium. She ran for Congress in her home state of New Hampshire after Trump’s first term, losing in the general election. She then became a trusted figure during Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign, catapulting into his inner circle as its primary spokesperson before he won a second term.
Trump, in his own announcement, credited her with a “phenomenal job fighting for Justice, Liberty, and Freedom, since 2018, including our Historic Re-Election Campaign of 2024,” pointing to her loyalty to his political operation well before she reached the briefing room. He called her “one of the best White House Press Secretaries in the History of the Office.”
At the podium, Leavitt built a reputation distinct from her predecessors. Her style was frequently described as combative, and she developed a habit of directly challenging reporters she believed were pushing biased narratives. Under her leadership, the White House briefing room also expanded its ranks to include bloggers and social media influencers, and she was known to begin briefings by giving the “new media chair” the first question of the day.
A Tenure Defined By High-Stakes Moments
Leavitt’s year and a half at the podium unfolded against a backdrop of some of the most closely watched controversies of Trump’s second term. She defended the administration through multiple flashpoints, including the Signalgate scandal, the release of the Epstein files, and the ongoing Iran war.
Her departure also arrives at a politically sensitive moment for the administration. It comes as Trump and his party are struggling with voters who disapprove of his handling of the economy and high prices amid the Iran war. Leavitt’s shift to an outside advisory role positions her to take on a more overtly political function heading into the midterms rather than the nonpartisan-facing duties required at the briefing room lectern.
What Comes Next
As of Wednesday afternoon, no successor had been named to take over Leavitt’s podium duties once her departure takes effect at the end of August. The imminent departure of one of the president’s closest allies inside the White House marks a major shakeup for the president’s press operation, with less than three months until the midterm elections.
For now, Leavitt’s next chapter is set to keep her firmly inside Trump’s orbit — just from outside the briefing room. As she put it in closing her statement, her run at the podium may be over, but as she told her followers Wednesday, “my fight is entering a new phase, but it is far from over.”