'One Of My Most Trusted Aides': Trump Says Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt To Step Down

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt will leave her post at the end of August, US President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday, praising the 28-year-old as “one of my most trusted aides”.

Trump said Leavitt would spend more time with her young children and family, while continuing to work as one of his top outside advisers. He also praised her performance as press secretary and said she had done a “phenomenal job” during his administration.

“Karoline will now be one of my top outside advisors, and an influential voice within the Republican Party, as we work to defy History, and conclusively win the Midterm Elections,” the US president wrote on Truth Social.

Trump did not announce who would replace Leavitt as White House press secretary.

Leavitt To Continue As Trump Adviser

Leavitt confirmed her departure in a lengthy post on X, saying serving as press secretary had been “the honour and adventure of a lifetime”.

She said becoming a mother while holding one of the “one of the most demanding jobs in the world has been the most rewarding yet challenging season of my life”.

“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 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 wrote.

Serving as the White House Press Secretary over the past year and a half has been 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… https://t.co/4jyW61DGGh pic.twitter.com/xny1yccuBn

— Karoline Leavitt (@karolineleavitt) August 12, 2026

Leavitt said Trump had asked her to remain a top adviser from outside the White House. She also said she would continue to support Trump, the Republican Party and the “MAGA” movement.

Leavitt became one of the most visible members of Trump’s White House, often defending the president during press briefings and sharply criticising journalists.

In her farewell message, she thanked Trump, First Lady Melania Trump, White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, her colleagues and her family.

Leavitt became the youngest White House press secretary in US history when she took up the role in January 2025 at just 27.

(With inputs from agencies)