Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary and the youngest person ever to occupy that office, will leave her role at the end of August 2026. President Donald Trump made the announcement on August 12, 2026, via his Truth Social platform, describing her as 'one of my most trusted aides.'
Leavitt, who is 28 years old, has held the position since January 2025, when Trump began his second term. No one younger has served as White House press secretary.
In her own public statement, Leavitt said she felt she 'cannot be the best mom my two young children deserve while devoting the constant time, energy, and attention required of the White House Press Secretary.' She and her spouse, Nicholas Riccio, welcomed their second child, a daughter named Viviana, in early May 2026. Leavitt had stepped away from her duties in late April and returned to the briefing room in mid-July after maternity leave, according to Al Jazeera.
Trump confirmed that Leavitt will not leave his orbit entirely. He said she would remain one of his 'top outside advisors' and serve as an 'influential voice within the Republican Party' as the administration directs its attention to the November 2026 midterm elections. The precise scope of that advisory role has not been defined.
Before serving as press secretary, Leavitt worked as an assistant press secretary during Trump's first term and as communications director for then-Congresswoman Elise Stefanik, according to the Times of India.
Her departure comes with fewer than three months remaining before the midterm elections, a politically sensitive period in which the administration will seek to sustain its congressional majorities. CNN described the exit as a significant disruption to the White House press operation at a consequential moment.
No successor has been named. Whether her departure was entirely voluntary or involved other considerations is not known.
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