Karoline Leavitt, the youngest person to hold the position of White House press secretary, will leave the role at the end of August, she announced on Wednesday, August 12.
Leavitt, 28, said in a statement that “serving as the White House press secretary over the past year and a half has been the honour and adventure of a lifetime”, but that she would be stepping down to spend more time with her two young children.
“Being a mother and welcoming a new baby while working in one of the most demanding jobs in the world has been the most rewarding yet challenging season of my life, to say the least,” she said. Leavitt’s daughter, Viviana, was born on May 1, and she returned to work in July.
“The truth is since returning to the White House after the birth of my daughter, I have felt in my heart that I cannot be the best mum my two young children deserve while devoting the constant time, energy and attention required of the White House press secretary – and that is why I have ultimately made the bittersweet decision to depart the White House and embark on a new chapter in my life,” she said.
Leavitt’s first child, a son, Nicholas, was born on July 10, 2024. Leavitt returned to work just four days later, following the assassination attempt on President Donald Trump.
After she departs the White House, Leavitt will remain as a “top adviser” to the president.
“I will always remain a vocal advocate for MAGA and the Republican Party,” she said.
“Our country is facing an existential threat from an increasingly extremist Democrat Party that seeks to destroy everything great about America, and I believe it is incumbent upon all of us who care about this country to fight back against that threat. My fight is entering a new phase, but it is far from over,” added Leavitt.
President Trump posted a tribute to Leavitt on Truth Social, calling her “wonderful” and “one of my most trusted aides”.
Trump said her choice to spend more time with her family is “a decision I totally understand and respect!”
“Karoline has been a real leader in the White House, and has done a phenomenal job fighting for Justice, Liberty and Freedom, since 2018, including our Historic Re-Election Campaign of 2024,” said the president, calling her “one of the best White House press secretaries in the History of the Office”.
