Karoline Leavitt will step down as White House press secretary

US President Trump announced White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt will step down at the end of August.

The 28-year-old gave birth to a daughter in May, and returned from maternity leave last month. Trump revealed her departure on social media, saying Leavitt was leaving “so she can spend more time” with her family.
Leavitt served Trump as a press aide during his first term in the White House. She ran for Congress in 2022 as the Republican nominee for New Hampshire’s first congressional district but lost the race. She joined Trump’s 2024 ​campaign ​and was transition ​spokeswoman before Trump selected ​her to ‌be White House ​press ​secretary. At 27 she was younger than Ronald Ziegler, who was 29 when he was Richard Nixon’s spokesperson.

The departure of Trump’s most prominent spokesperson comes with his approval rating at a historic low as voters express discontent over rising prices and a war in Iran that has no end in sight. Especially when she had been praising Trump and being combative at press conferences, Democrats, such as California Senator Adam Schiff, believe that “Leavitt is leaving the White House to spend a little more time … with the truth.”