White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt to resign

Aug. 12 (UPI) — Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, will leave the post at the end of August to spend more time with her family, President Donald Trump said Wednesday.

In a social media post, Trump said Leavitt, 28, is resigning to “spend more time with her beautiful young children and family, a decision I totally understand and respect!”

Leavitt, who has been White House press secretary since January 2025, recently returned from maternity leave after her youngest child, Viviana, was born May 1. She also has another child with her husband, Nicholas Riccio, a real estate developer.

Trump called Leavitt “one of my most trusted aides” and said she will be one of his “top outside advisers” and “an influential voice within the Republican Party as we work to defy history.”

He also said Leavitt “has done a phenomenal job fighting for truth, justice and freedom” and has been one of the best press secretaries in the history of the office.

In her own social media post Wednesday, Leavitt said serving as White House press secretary has been “the honor and adventure of a lifetime”and said she is “incredibly grateful” to Trump.

“I have spoken with great pride about the many historic accomplishments of this administration, and I have relished holding the liberal media accountable and ensuring the American people hear the truth about President Trump’s successes,” she said.

Leavitt said that since returning from maternity leave, she has “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.” She said the decision to leave is “bittersweet.”

Leavitt also said in her post that the United States “is facing an existential threat” from a Democratic Party that “seeks to destroy everything good about America.”

Leavitt is the youngest person to ever serve as White House press secretary.