Karoline Leavitt announces she is leaving her White House press secretary role

Karoline Leavitt said Wednesday that she is leaving her role as President Donald Trump’s White House press secretary, telling followers in a social media post that the decision was “bittersweet.” PBS NewsHour reported the announcement shortly after Trump said Leavitt would be stepping down.

According to PBS NewsHour, Leavitt recently returned to the White House briefing podium after the birth of her second child, a daughter named Viviana, in May. Her shift back to the podium came after a period away related to childbirth.

Leavitt had been serving as the White House’s chief spokesperson at the daily press briefing. PBS reported that her departure follows Trump’s announcement that she would be stepping down, but the outlet did not cite a separate White House document formalizing the personnel change.

The White House did not provide, in the material reviewed for this story, an accompanying official statement on staffing or timing through a primary record such as a White House personnel page, presidential actions post, or Federal Register notice. As a result, the specific start date of her departure and the identity of her successor were not confirmed in the provided material.

In the interim, the White House press office is expected to continue handling daily media briefings and related communications as leadership transitions occur. Under longstanding federal practice, press office staffing changes can affect how quickly reporters receive answers on policy questions and administration messaging at the daily briefings.

Leavitt’s departure also marks another personnel turnover in the communications function around the Trump presidency, an area where short timelines and frequent role adjustments are common. For press and public audiences, the practical impact is most immediate in the scheduling, format, and spokesperson identity at the White House podium.