Karoline Leavitt to Step Down as White House Press Secretary at End of August

Karoline Leavitt will step down as White House press secretary at the end of August, President Donald Trump announced Wednesday. 

Trump said Leavitt is leaving the position to spend more time with her family. She will not leave Trump’s political orbit, however, and is expected to become one of his top outside advisers. 

Leavitt has served as Trump’s press secretary since the beginning of his second administration in January 2025 and became the youngest White House press secretary in U.S. history.

The announcement marks a significant change in Trump’s White House communications operation ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.