Archive · 13 Aug 2026
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt resigns, becomes Trump adviser
Karoline Leavitt was the person who talked to news reporters for the president of the United States, Donald Trump.
That job is called the White House press secretary.
She decided to stop doing that job so she could spend more time with her two little kids.
She just had a baby girl in May.
The president said she was one of the best press secretaries ever.
She is still going to help him, but from outside the White House.
During her time in the job, the White House changed the rules for which reporters could ask the president questions.
Some people liked this change, and some people did not.
Her leaving happened around the same time as news stories about the president secretly changing planes because of a safety threat.
Now she will help with the president's plans for the November midterm elections.
Karoline Leavitt resigned as White House press secretary, citing time with her two young children, and will remain as an external adviser to Trump.
Trump called her "one of the best White House Press Secretaries in the History of the Office," while Leavitt described her tenure as "the honor and adventure of a lifetime."
Leavitt, the youngest person ever appointed to the role, served roughly 18 months and frequently clashed with reporters during briefings.
During her tenure, the White House moved away from the traditional press-pool system, began selecting which reporters could cover Trump, and added a dedicated "new media" position.
Her departure follows reports that Trump was secretly moved to a military plane via a catering truck over an alleged Iranian assassination threat after a NATO summit in Türkiye.
- Who
- Karoline Leavitt, who resigned as White House press secretary, with President Donald Trump responding to her departure.
- What
- Leavitt stepped down as White House press secretary, citing family reasons, and will stay on as an external adviser to Trump.
- When
- Shortly after returning from maternity leave; she gave birth to her second child, a daughter, in May.
- Where
- The White House, with her new role tied to the "Make America Great Again" movement.
- Why
- To spend more time with her two young children; Trump said she would help shape the future direction of the MAGA movement ahead of the November midterm elections.
Critics of the administration's press strategy
Supporters of the administration's media approach
White House press access changes
Critics of the administration's press strategy
Selecting which reporters can cover Trump and moving away from the traditional press-pool system could let access be used to favor media seen as sympathetic to the president.
Supporters of the administration's media approach
Adding a dedicated "new media" position for podcasts, newsletters and smaller digital outlets acknowledges how audiences now consume news.
Leavitt's relationship with the press
Critics of the administration's press strategy
She frequently clashed with reporters and became closely associated with the administration's combative approach to the media.
Supporters of the administration's media approach
Former deputy press secretary Harrison Fields praised her as someone who "spoke Trump fluently" and "fed the media beast" in a cunning, audacious and successful way.
- Outgoing Press Secretary
- Karoline Leavitt
- New Role
- External adviser to President Trump
- Length of Tenure
- Roughly 18 months
- Stated Reason
- Spend more time with her two young children
- Second Child
- Daughter born in May; recently returned from maternity leave
- Distinction
- Youngest person ever appointed White House press secretary
- Trump's Assessment
- "One of the best White House Press Secretaries in the History of the Office"
- Context
- Departure came after reports of a concealed Trump flight from a NATO summit in Türkiye over an alleged Iranian assassination threat