Karoline Leavitt Leaving White House as Press Secretary at End of August

On August 12, 2026, President Donald Trump announced on Truth Social that Karoline Leavitt is leaving the White House at the end of the month after serving as press secretary, to spend more time with her young children. Trump said Leavitt will become one of his top outside advisers and an influential voice within the Republican Party as the administration prepares for the 2026 midterm elections. Neither Trump nor Leavitt named a successor.

Editor’s note: This article draws on Trump’s Truth Social post, Leavitt’s statement on X, and reporting from AP News, Reuters, NBC News, and CBS News, August 12, 2026. The timing of a replacement press secretary may change.

What Trump announced

Trump framed Leavitt’s departure as a family decision he fully supports. In his Truth Social post, he called her “one of my most trusted aides” and praised her work since 2018, including the 2024 re-election campaign.

Detail	Information
Departure date	End of August 2026
Stated reason	More time with her two young children and family
Next role	Top outside adviser to Trump; GOP messaging ahead of midterms
Successor	Not announced

Trump wrote 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.” He also called her “one of the best White House Press Secretaries in the History of the Office.”

Leavitt’s statement: a ‘bittersweet’ decision

Leavitt confirmed the move in a post on X, calling the press secretary role “the honor and adventure of a lifetime.” She thanked Trump for the opportunity to speak for him at the briefing-room podium.

She said that since returning to the White House after the birth of her second child, she felt she could not be “the best mom my two young children deserve while devoting the constant time, energy, and attention required of the White House Press Secretary.”

“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.”

Leavitt said Trump asked her to continue serving as a top adviser from outside the West Wing, and that she would “always remain a vocal advocate for MAGA and the Republican Party.”

Background: youngest press secretary, second maternity leave

Leavitt, 28, is the youngest person ever to serve as White House press secretary and one of only eight women to hold the post. She has been Trump’s most visible spokesperson since the start of his second term.

Milestone	Detail
Appointed	December 2024, after serving as national press secretary on Trump’s campaign
First term tie	Assistant White House press secretary under Trump (2018–2021)
First child	Son Nicholas, born days before the July 2024 assassination attempt on Trump
Second child	Daughter Viviana, born May 2026
Maternity leave	Brief leave for Viviana’s birth; returned to the podium in July 2026
Historic note	First White House press secretary to give birth while serving in the role

Before joining Trump’s first-term press office, Leavitt worked for Kayleigh McEnany and built a profile as an aggressive defender of Trump on television. As press secretary, she continued daily briefings and expanded access for podcasters and social media creators — a shift she previewed at her January 2025 debut briefing.

Why the timing matters

Leavitt’s exit comes roughly three months before the November 2026 midterm elections, when control of Congress is at stake. Outside advisers often play a larger role in campaign messaging, fundraising events, and media strategy without the constraints of a federal job.

The White House has not said who will fill the briefing-room role or whether an interim spokesperson will step in before a permanent replacement is named. Press secretaries typically shape daily narrative battles — from tariff policy to judicial nominations — and a late-summer transition can unsettle a communications operation during a high-stakes election season.

What changes — and what may not

Leavitt’s move from the West Wing to an outside advisory role does not necessarily mean she disappears from public view. Former Trump aides in similar positions have remained active surrogates on cable news, at rallies, and in party fundraising.

Inside the White House, however, the press secretary’s daily briefings are a central channel for explaining administration policy to reporters and the public. Whoever succeeds Leavitt will inherit that podium at a moment when Trump is emphasizing midterm messaging and when Leavitt herself had only recently returned from maternity leave.

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Discussion

A high-profile spokesperson leaving weeks before a midterm cycle raises questions about family, politics, and the job itself.

1. Leavitt cited the demands of the press secretary role and parenting two young children. Is stepping down the realistic choice for someone in that position — or could the White House have structured the job differently to retain her?

2. Trump is moving Leavitt to an outside advisory role rather than another West Wing post. Does that suggest the midterms need a campaign-style communicator more than a daily briefing-room operator right now?

If you were advising the White House, what would you prioritize in choosing her replacement?

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