WASHINGTON: The Karoline Leavitt exit from the White House will take place at the end of August after the press secretary decided to prioritise her two young children.
Leavitt, 28, announced her departure in an August statement on X. She described the decision as bittersweet and said the demands of her position prevented her from being the best mother to her children.
The press secretary gave birth to her second child on May 1 and returned from maternity leave in July. She said balancing motherhood with the constant demands of the White House role had become unsustainable.
President Donald Trump first announced the departure in an August 12 Truth Social post. He said he understood Leavitt’s decision and praised her work as his administration’s chief spokesperson.
Trump said Leavitt would remain one of his top outside advisers and serve as an influential Republican voice before the US midterm elections.
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Leavitt later said she would return to MAGA Inc., a political action committee supporting Trump, in September after taking time away with her family.
Trump appointed Leavitt after winning the 2024 presidential election. She took the position at 27, becoming the youngest White House press secretary in US history and breaking the record set by Ron Ziegler at 29 in 1969.
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The White House had not named Leavitt’s successor by August 23. Reports have identified several possible candidates, but Trump has announced no appointment.
