White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt will leave the Trump administration at the end of August, creating a high-profile vacancy in the president’s communications team ahead of the US midterm elections.

Leavitt, 28, said she had made the decision to spend more time with her family after returning to work following the birth of her second child in May. She has a baby daughter and a two-year-old son.

President Donald Trump has not announced who will replace her. He said Leavitt would continue as an outside adviser and remain an influential Republican voice during the midterm campaign.

Leavitt became the youngest person to serve as White House press secretary when Trump returned to office in January 2025. Her appointment reflected the administration’s emphasis on aggressive, rapid-response communication and direct engagement with conservative media.

The press secretary is the most visible spokesperson for the US president and is responsible for explaining administration decisions, responding to controversies and conducting televised briefings for the White House press corps.

The job also has strategic importance during an election year. The press secretary helps set the day’s political message, coordinates responses across government departments and attempts to prevent individual controversies from overwhelming the president’s wider agenda. A transition close to the midterms can temporarily disrupt that communication rhythm.

Leavitt appeared at the traditional briefing-room podium less frequently than several recent predecessors, in part because Trump regularly spoke directly to reporters at White House events and during travel. She also appeared often on Fox News and other conservative outlets to defend the administration’s policies and criticise Democrats and mainstream media organisations.

Before becoming press secretary, Leavitt worked for Trump’s first administration, served as communications director for Republican lawmaker Elise Stefanik and became a spokesperson for a political action committee supporting Trump. She ran for Congress in New Hampshire in 2022, winning the Republican primary before losing the general election.

Her departure comes at a sensitive time. The administration is managing the continuing Iran conflict, a volatile economy and a competitive midterm campaign that will determine control of Congress. A new press secretary will immediately become one of the principal public faces of Trump’s defence of his record.

The White House has not indicated whether the replacement will come from within the current communications team or from Trump’s wider political network. Until a successor is named, speculation is likely to focus on officials who already appear frequently on television and have the president’s confidence.

The next appointment will also signal how Trump wants to communicate during the second half of his term. He could choose an experienced government spokesperson, a combative campaign figure or a trusted television surrogate. Each option would bring a different balance between formal briefings, partisan messaging and direct presidential communication.

Leavitt’s decision also carries a wider workplace dimension. In her announcement, she said the constant time and energy demanded by the role made it difficult to be the mother she wanted to be after the birth of her daughter. That explanation is likely to resonate beyond US politics because it places the conflict between senior leadership roles and caregiving responsibilities at the centre of a global political story.

Although Leavitt is leaving government, Trump’s statement makes clear that she is not leaving his political movement. Her expected outside-adviser role could allow her to campaign, appear in media and influence Republican messaging with greater flexibility than a formal White House position permits.