White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, youngest person to hold role, to leave at month’s end

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, youngest person to hold role, to leave at month’s end 1 of 5 | White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt speaks with reporters in the James Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House, July 16, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson, File) 2 of 5 | White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt points to a reporter to ask a question in the James Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House, March 30, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File) 3 of 5 | White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt speaks with reporters in the James Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House, July 23, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File) 4 of 5 | Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt glances at President Donald Trump before departing on Marine One from the South Lawn of the White House, Feb. 27, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Tom Brenner, File) 5 of 5 | President Donald Trump attends the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner, at the Washington-dc" class="entity-link entity-location" data-entity-id="172234" data-entity-type="location">Waldorf Astoria Washington DC, July 24, 2026, in Washington, with White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt. (AP Photo/Rod Lamkey, Jr., File) 1 of 5 | White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt speaks with reporters in the James Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House, July 16, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson, File) 1 of 5 White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt speaks with reporters in the James Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House, July 16, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson, File) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Share 2 of 5 | White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt points to a reporter to ask a question in the James Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House, March 30, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File) 2 of 5 White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt points to a reporter to ask a question in the James Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House, March 30, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Share 3 of 5 | White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt speaks with reporters in the James Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House, July 23, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File) 3 of 5 White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt speaks with reporters in the James Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House, July 23, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Share 4 of 5 | Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt glances at President Donald Trump before departing on Marine One from the South Lawn of the White House, Feb. 27, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Tom Brenner, File) 4 of 5 Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt glances at President Donald Trump before departing on Marine One from the South Lawn of the White House, Feb. 27, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Tom Brenner, File) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Share 5 of 5 | President Donald Trump attends the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner, at the Washington-dc" class="entity-link entity-location" data-entity-id="172234" data-entity-type="location">Waldorf Astoria Washington DC, July 24, 2026, in Washington, with White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt. (AP Photo/Rod Lamkey, Jr., File) 5 of 5 President Donald Trump attends the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner, at the Washington-dc" class="entity-link entity-location" data-entity-id="172234" data-entity-type="location">Waldorf Astoria Washington DC, July 24, 2026, in Washington, with White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt. (AP Photo/Rod Lamkey, Jr., File) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Share Updated [hour]:[minute] [AMPM] [timezone], [monthFull] [day], [year] Washington (AP) — White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, the youngest person to hold the role, will leave at month’s end, President Donald Trump announced Wednesday.Leavitt, 28, just recently returned to the White House after taking a brief leave for the birth of her second child in May.Leavitt, who served Trump as a press aide during his first go-around in the White House, has been one of the most visible advocates of Trump’s “Make America Great Again” movement. The Republican president described her as one of his “most trusted aides” in a social media post announcing her departure.He said Leavitt “will be departing her role at the end of the month so she can spend more time with her beautiful young children and family, a decision I totally understand and respect! 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.” Leavitt recently returned to work after taking leave following the birth of her second child, a daughter, in May. She also has a two-year-old son.“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,” Leavitt said in a social media post. 4 MIN READ 2 MIN READ Trump did not outline plans for who might replace her in the high-profile role.