White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt to step down at end of August

Abi Sarabia M., Philippine Canadian Inquirer
August 13, 2026

Photo courtesy: Karoline Leavitt X Account

US – Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, will leave her post at the end of August, President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday, August 12.

Trump made the announcement in a post on Truth Social, describing Leavitt as one of his most trusted aides and saying she is departing to spend more time with her two young children. Trump said Leavitt will continue working with him as one of his top outside advisors and will take on an influential role within the Republican Party ahead of the November midterm elections.

Leavitt, confirmed her decision in a post on X, calling her time as press secretary “the honor and adventure of a lifetime.” She said that since returning from maternity leave following the birth of her second child in May, she had concluded that she could not fully balance the demands of the job with being the mother she wants to be to her two young children.

She thanked Trump for the opportunity to work in the West Wing and speak on his behalf from the White House briefing room, and said she took pride in representing the administration’s record to the American public.

Leavitt made history as the youngest White House press secretary ever, taking the role at 27 when Trump began his second term in January 2025. She also became the first press secretary to be pregnant while holding the job, and had returned to the podium in July after a brief maternity leave.

Before becoming press secretary, Leavitt served in a junior role in the White House press office during Trump’s first term and later worked as national press secretary for his 2024 campaign. Between the two administrations, she ran unsuccessfully for a New Hampshire congressional seat.

Her departure comes with less than three months before the midterm elections and at a difficult stretch for the administration, as Trump faces low approval ratings alongside the ongoing conflict involving Iran and elevated gas prices.