Karoline Leavitt to leave White House press post
WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump has announced that White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt will leave her position at the end of August, saying she wants to spend more time with her young children.
Trump praised the 28-year-old spokesperson as one of his most trusted aides and said he respected her decision to step away from one of the most demanding roles in the administration.
In a social media post, Trump said Leavitt would continue to advise him from outside the White House and would remain an influential voice within the Republican Party.
Leavitt confirmed her departure, describing her time as White House press secretary as an “honor and adventure of a lifetime.”
She said balancing motherhood with one of the most demanding jobs in Washington had been both rewarding and challenging. After returning from maternity leave following the birth of her second child, Leavitt said she realised she could not give her two young children the time and attention they deserved while continuing to meet the demands of the press secretary’s role.
Leavitt and her husband, Nicholas Riccio, welcomed a daughter in May. The couple also have a two-year-old son. She returned to the White House last month after taking maternity leave.
Leavitt became White House press secretary last year and made history as the youngest person to hold the position. During her tenure, she became one of the administration’s most recognisable public figures and frequently defended Trump’s policies during tense exchanges with journalists.
Her relationship with sections of the US media was often confrontational. Leavitt accused some journalists of political bias, while supporters of the Trump administration praised her for forcefully presenting the president’s position.
Her tenure also included changes to the White House press-access system. Her office took greater control over the press pool and temporarily restricted access for the Associated Press after a dispute over the administration’s preferred terminology for the Gulf of Mexico.
Before becoming press secretary, Leavitt had already established close ties with Trump. She worked in his first administration as an assistant press secretary and speechwriter.
She later served as communications director for Republican Congresswoman Elise Stefanik and launched an unsuccessful campaign for Congress in New Hampshire in 2022. Although she won a competitive Republican primary, she lost the general election to Democratic Representative Chris Pappas.
Leavitt subsequently worked as a spokesperson for MAGA Inc, a pro-Trump fundraising organisation, before joining Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign as national press secretary.
She became one of the longest-serving press secretaries in Trump’s two administrations, behind former press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders.
The White House has yet to announce who will succeed Leavitt. During her maternity leave, several senior administration officials, including Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, took turns addressing reporters.
White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, who described Leavitt as a close friend and role model, said her departure would not end their professional relationship.
He said they would continue working together and expressed confidence that Leavitt’s career would continue to develop beyond her White House role.
