Karoline Leavitt to step down as White House press secretary
The youngest person ever to serve as White House press secretary will leave her position at the end of August to spend more time with her family, President Trump announced.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, youngest person to hold role, to leave at month's end
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt will step down from her role at the end of August, President Donald Trump announced Wednesday, bringing an end to her historic tenure as the youngest person ever to hold the position.
Leavitt, who became press secretary on January 20, 2025, at age 27, broke a record that had stood since 1969, when Ron Ziegler was appointed by President Richard Nixon at age 29. She is also one of only eight women to have served in the role throughout history.
The announcement comes just weeks after Leavitt returned to the briefing room on July 16, following maternity leave for the birth of her daughter Viviana on May 1. Her pregnancy made her the first White House press secretary to serve while expecting, adding another historic distinction to her tenure.
In a social media post, Trump described Leavitt as one of his most trusted aides and said she
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.
Leavitt has two children: her daughter Viviana and a two-year-old son, Nicholas Robert Riccio, known as Niko, who was born in July 2024.
Trump said Leavitt
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.
Career path to the White House
Leavitt's connection to the Trump administration dates back to her first White House stint from 2019 to 2021, when she served as assistant press secretary under Kayleigh McEnany during Trump's first term. After leaving in 2021, she became communications director for Rep. Elise Stefanik, a Republican from New York.
In 2022, Leavitt launched a congressional campaign in New Hampshire's 1st Congressional District. She won a competitive 10-way Republican primary but lost the general election to incumbent Democratic Rep. Chris Pappas.
A New Hampshire native, Leavitt graduated from Saint Anselm College in 2019 with a bachelor's degree in politics and communication, attending on a softball scholarship.
Her departure continues a pattern of turnover in the press secretary position during Trump's administrations. During his first term from January 2017 to January 2021, Trump cycled through four press secretaries: Sean Spicer, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, Stephanie Grisham, and Kayleigh McEnany.
Leavitt has been one of the most visible advocates of Trump's political movement, regularly defending administration policies and engaging with the press corps. Her age and communication style made her a distinctive figure in the traditionally high-pressure role.
