White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt stepping down at end of month

President Trump and Karoline Leavitt.

Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, is stepping down at the end of August, President Trump announced on social media Wednesday, saying Leavitt would continue as an outside adviser once she formally departs her role. 

Leavitt, 28, is the youngest person in history to serve as White House press secretary. She gave birth to a girl named Viviana back in early May and recently returned to the job after a maternity leave. Trump said Leavitt's decision to leave the White House was made "so she can spend more time with her beautiful young children and family, a decision I totally understand and respect!"

Leavitt issued a lengthy statement on X Wednesday, elaborating on her decision and describing the time in her White House post as "the honor and adventure of a lifetime."

"I am incredibly grateful to President Trump for granting me so many extraordinary opportunities, such as working in the West Wing and spending countless hours in the Oval Office, flying around the world and meeting foreign leaders, and traveling across our beautiful country and meeting Americans from all walks of life," Leavitt said.

She went on to say that the decision to leave the job was based on wanting more family time. "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," she said. "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 mom my two young children deserve."

Leavitt has won wide praise from conservatives for the manner in which she's handled the job of press secretary, particularly given how hostile the media has been since Trump returned to the White House in January 2025. In Dave Rubin's recurring Trump administration power rankings poll, which are featured in his newsletter, Leavitt has consistently performed well finishing as high as third place and often in the middle of the pack.

“Karoline faces the most anti-Trump people every day in the press room and she wins every day. They never lay a glove on her. She is a champion!" one commenter who took part in the poll said. 

"President Trump has asked me to continue serving as a top advisor to him on the outside, and I will always remain a vocal advocate for MAGA and the Republican Party," Leavitt said. Trump did not give any indication in his announcement about who might succeed Leavitt as White House press secretary.

Read her full statement below.