Overview
- President Trump announced on Wednesday that Karoline Leavitt will step down as White House press secretary at the end of August, saying she wants to spend more time with her young family.
- Trump said Leavitt will continue working for him as a top outside adviser and remain an influential voice within the Republican Party.
- Leavitt, the youngest person to hold the post, spent about 18 months reshaping White House media operations by elevating pro‑Trump influencers and restricting access for some legacy outlets.
- No successor has been named, creating immediate uncertainty for the administration’s communications team and raising concerns about messaging consistency in the run‑up to the midterms.
- Leavitt returned briefly from maternity leave in July after giving birth in May and said she could not both meet the job’s demands and be the mother her children need, a choice that follows several other high‑profile departures this year and could leave lasting political and practical effects on Trump’s press operation.