KAROLINE LEAVITT STEPS DOWN AS TRUMP PRESS SECRETARY

Karoline Leavitt will depart her role as White House Press Secretary at the end of August, Donald Trump announced. According to Trump, Leavitt is leaving to spend time with her family. Trump stated that Leavitt will serve as one of his "top outside advisors" following her departure. The White House does not plan to immediately name a replacement, instead continuing briefings led by senior administration officials including Vice President JD Vance.

Leavitt, 28, held the position of youngest White House press secretary in history. She served longer in the role under Trump than any spokesperson except Sarah Huckabee Sanders. Her tenure was marked by frequent clashes with reporters. In one instance, she barred The Associated Press from the Oval Office over a naming dispute involving the Gulf of Mexico. During a March 2025 press briefing, she stated that tariffs were a "tax cut for the American people", a characterisation disputed by economists including Tara Sinclair of George Washington University, who told fact-checking website Politifact that economists broadly agree tariffs are taxes on consumers.

Several media personalities and officials are being considered as potential long-term replacements, according to a White House official. Although leaving the press secretary role temporarily vacant is uncommon for a presidential administration, the White House has chosen this approach rather than appoint an immediate successor. The departure comes as the administration prepares for midterm elections.