White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, the youngest person to hold the post will step down at the end of the month to spend more time with her young family.
The 28-year-old called it a "bittersweet decision" in a social media post Wednesday shortly after President Donald Trump confirmed she was leaving. Leavitt recently returned to the podium after giving birth to her second child, a daughter in May. She also has a two-year-old son.
Leavitt said that since returning from maternity leave and she has felt unable to give her children the attention they deserve while carrying out the demands of the press secretary role with prompting her decision to move on.
Trump did not name a successor. In his own post, he said he "totally" understood her decision and would keep her close with calling her a future top outside adviser and an influential voice in the Republican Party as the party prepares for the midterm elections.
Before joining Trump's 2024 campaign, Leavitt worked as a spokesperson for MAGA Inc., a pro-Trump super PAC. In 2022, she won a crowded Republican primary for a New Hampshire congressional seat but lost the general election to Democratic Rep. Chris Pappas.
During Trump's first term, Leavitt served as a White House press aide before becoming communications director for Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik. As press secretary, she briefed reporters less often than many predecessors, with Trump instead engaging directly with the press while sending Leavitt frequently to conservative outlets like Fox News to promote his agenda.
Earlier press secretaries including Sean Spicer, Sarah Huckabee Sanders and Kayleigh McEnany were known for combative press briefings, while Stephanie Grisham held none at all.
