‘I Want to Be a Better Mom’: Leavitt Steps Down as Trump’s Press Secretary

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt is stepping down at the end of August, bringing an unexpected end to the tenure of one of President Donald Trump's most visible and fiercely loyal public defenders.

Leavitt says the reason is personal: she wants to be more present for her two young children.

The 28-year-old communications official announced her decision after returning from maternity leave following the birth of her second child, a daughter named Viviana, in May. She said the decision was “bittersweet,” explaining that she had come to realise she could not give her children the attention they deserve while meeting the extraordinary demands of the White House press secretary's job.

Trump announced her departure on his Truth Social platform, praising Leavitt as one of the best press secretaries in the history of the office. He also made clear that her political career with his movement is not ending.

Instead, Leavitt will become one of Trump's top outside advisers and remain an influential voice within the Republican Party.

That detail is important because Leavitt's influence in Trump's political operation has extended well beyond the briefing room.

She joined Trump's 2024 presidential campaign as national press secretary and was subsequently selected to become White House press secretary when he returned to office in January 2025. At 27, she became the youngest person ever to hold the position.

Her tenure was anything but conventional.

Leavitt became known for an aggressive, combative style when dealing with journalists and for defending Trump with the same political intensity that characterised his own communication style. She also pushed to give greater access to conservative and independent media outlets, including creating a new media seat in the White House briefing room.

That approach made her popular among Trump's supporters while frequently putting her at odds with sections of the traditional White House press corps.

Her tenure also became entangled in broader arguments about press freedom and the administration's relationship with major news organisations. The White House sought greater control over access to presidential events, while its dispute with the Associated Press over the administration's preferred terminology for the Gulf of Mexico led to a legal battle in which Leavitt was named as a defendant.

But behind the political battles was a very different challenge.

Leavitt became the first White House press secretary to openly navigate pregnancy while holding the position, continuing one of the most demanding communications jobs in American government while starting a family. After giving birth in May, she took maternity leave before returning to the podium in July.

Her decision now puts a very public spotlight on a question that is often discussed privately by senior political officials: how much personal life can someone realistically preserve while occupying one of Washington's most relentless jobs?

The press secretary is expected to respond rapidly to crises, defend presidential decisions, brief reporters, travel with the administration and remain available virtually around the clock. For a parent of two young children, that schedule can create a particularly difficult balancing act.

Leavitt's explanation suggests that, for her, the calculation eventually became unavoidable.

“The truth is,” she wrote, “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.”

Her departure also comes at a politically significant moment for Trump.

The administration is heading towards the 2026 midterm elections, meaning Trump will lose one of his most recognisable public messengers just as the political temperature in Washington begins to rise. Trump has nevertheless signalled that Leavitt will remain involved as an outside adviser and Republican voice.

No successor has yet been formally announced.

The White House will therefore have to find someone capable of stepping into a role that has changed considerably under Trump. The modern press secretary is no longer simply a government spokesperson; the position has become part political strategist, media combatant and rapid-response communicator.

Leavitt helped redefine that role during her time in office.

She often bypassed traditional media conventions, embraced alternative outlets and used social media as another direct channel to Trump's supporters. Her departure could therefore lead to a debate over whether her successor will continue that model or attempt to rebuild a more conventional relationship with the White House press corps.

For FollowGlobalTrends, however, the most revealing part of Leavitt's departure may be what happens after she leaves the podium.

She is not walking away from Trump or from politics.

She is stepping away from one of the most demanding jobs in American government because, after becoming a mother of two, she decided that being constantly available to the presidency was incompatible with being the parent she wanted to be.

That makes her resignation more than another Washington personnel change.

It is a reminder that behind the political battles, television appearances and White House briefings is a young woman who has decided that for now, her biggest responsibility is at home.