Overview
- Leavitt announced on August 12 that she will step down at the end of the month to spend more time with her two young children and will remain an outside adviser to President Trump.
- The White House is preparing a temporary plan to have Cabinet and senior officials rotate through press briefings rather than naming an immediate permanent replacement.
- President Trump has shown little urgency in choosing a successor and publicly suggested Fox News correspondent Alexis McAdams as a possible candidate during a recent interview.
- A wide field of contenders and backers has emerged, with allies lobbying for names including Alina Habba, Anna Kelly, Scott Jennings, Tricia McLaughlin and Elizabeth Pipko.
- Reporting includes limited, unverified accounts that Leavitt faced pressure around her maternity leave and return, a dynamic that staffers say highlights strain in the administration’s communications operation ahead of November.