Karoline Leavitt resigns as White House press secretary

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt will leave her post at the end of August, President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday. Leavitt, 28, the youngest person ever to hold the role, cited her desire to spend more time with her two young children as the reason for her departure. Trump said he "understands and respects" her decision and that she will become one of his "main outside advisers" and "an influential voice within the Republican Party" Source: CNN. Leavitt described her tenure as "the honor and adventure of a lifetime" and said she could not be "the best mother" her children deserve while dedicating the "constant time, energy, and attention" the job requires Source: ABC.

A combative tenure

Leavitt, who took office in January 2025, was known for her aggressive defense of Trump and frequent clashes with the press. She accused journalists of bias, called a reporter's question "stupid," and told another "your mother decided" when asked about a summit location Source: Milenio. Her first press conference included the false claim that the administration had stopped $50 million in taxpayer funds for condoms in Gaza, which fact-checkers later said referred to an HIV prevention program in Mozambique Source: Euronews. She also oversaw the White House's takeover of the press pool and the exclusion of the Associated Press over its use of "Gulf of Mexico" Source: El Nacional.

Succession questions

No successor has been named. Potential candidates include deputy press secretary Anna Kelly, former Trump lawyer Alina Habba, communications director Steven Cheung, and others Source: Infobae. Some officials suggest Trump may wait until after the November midterms to appoint a replacement, or may leave the post vacant Source: CNN. Leavitt's departure comes at a low point for Trump's approval ratings and amid controversy over a secret operation that used a decoy plane to evacuate him from Turkey Source: La Vanguardia.