Karoline Leavitt to quit White House podium, Trump reveals her next move
WASHINGTON, DC: Karoline Leavitt is leaving her job as the White House press secretary at the end of August, President Donald Trump confirmed on Wednesday, August 12, saying she wants to spend more time with her two young children and family.
Trump praised the 28-year-old press secretary as one of the best to hold the position and said she would remain a trusted adviser.
Leavitt also reacted to the president's statement and said motherhood ultimately forced her to reconsider the demanding role.
We love you, @PressSec! ❤️ pic.twitter.com/gDn2ivqGrq
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) August 12, 2026
Trump confirms Karoline Leavitt's exit
Trump announced Leavitt’s departure in a post on Truth Social, calling her “one of my most trusted aides” and saying he understood her decision to step away from the White House.
“Our wonderful White House Press Secretary, and one of my most trusted aides, Karoline Leavitt, will be departing her role at the end of the month so she can spend more time with her beautiful young children and family,” Trump wrote.
Trump said Leavitt would continue working with him as one of his top outside advisers and described her as a potentially influential voice within the Republican Party ahead of the midterm elections.
He also praised her work since joining his political operation in 2018, including her role during his 2024 reelection campaign.
Serving as the White House Press Secretary over the past year and a half has been the honor and adventure of a lifetime. I am incredibly grateful to President Trump for granting me so many extraordinary opportunities, such as working in the West Wing and spending countless hours… https://t.co/4jyW61DGGh pic.twitter.com/xny1yccuBn
— Karoline Leavitt (@karolineleavitt) August 12, 2026
“Karoline has been one of the best White House Press Secretaries in the History of the Office,” Trump wrote, thanking her for what he called a job well done.
Karoline Leavitt explains her decision to step down
Leavitt described her time as press secretary as “the honor and adventure of a lifetime,” but said the demands of the position became harder to reconcile with life as a mother of two.
She said returning to the White House after the birth of her daughter made her realize she could not give her children what they needed while maintaining the constant schedule required of the press secretary.
She added that she had felt, in her heart, that she could not be "the best mom" her two young children deserved while devoting the “constant time, energy, and attention” the position requires.
Leavitt became the youngest person to serve as White House press secretary when she took the position in January 2025.
