President Trump announced on August 12 that Karoline Leavitt will step down as White House press secretary at the end of August 2026, closing out a tenure at the podium that began when the administration took office [1]. In his statement, Trump said the departure would let Leavitt spend more time with her family following the birth of her second child, a daughter named Viviana, in early May [1].
Trump's announcement was effusive. He wrote that "Karoline has been one of the best White House Press Secretaries in the History of the Office," and described her as a real leader who "has done a phenomenal job fighting for Justice, Liberty, and Freedom, since 2018" [1].
The move does not sever her tie to the president. Trump said Leavitt would stay on as one of his top outside advisors and an influential voice within the Republican Party as the administration works to win the midterm elections in November [1]. That reframes the exit less as a retirement than as a shift from the government payroll to party advocacy heading into a national campaign.
One thing the announcement did not include was a name for who takes over. No successor was identified, so the most visible speaking role in the West Wing is set to open at the end of the month with the vacancy still pending [1]. Whoever fills it inherits the daily job of fielding questions on behalf of the executive branch during an election year, a handoff the White House has not yet detailed.
