White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt to step down

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt will be leaving the administration at the end of the month, after serving in the role since the beginning of President Donald Trump’s second term.

Trump on Wednesday announced that Leavitt, 28, the youngest White House press secretary, is set to step down to “spend more time with her beautiful young children and family.”

“Karoline 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,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

Leavitt, who 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, confirmed her departure in a statement on X.

She said that being called press secretary has been “the honor and adventure of a lifetime,” adding that since having her second child, she “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.”

“I am thankful to the President for entrusting me with the distinct privilege of speaking on his behalf at the White House podium,” Leavitt wrote.

Leavitt is one of only eight women to serve in the role, and the first to have a baby while doing so.

Leavitt has served as White House press secretary since Trump took office in 2025, but has worked for Trump since long before that. Leavit was the national press secretary for Trump’s 2024 campaign, and before that worked as an assistant press secretary during Trump’s first term.

Leavitt ran for Congress in New Hampshire in 2022, but lost to incumbent Democratic Rep. Chris Pappas, who is now running for Senate there.