WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump announced Wednesday that Karoline Leavitt, his White House press secretary, will step down from the podium at the end of August after 18 months in the job, becoming one of his "top outside advisors" instead.

Leavitt, 28, is the youngest White House press secretary in history and, at nearly a year and a half in the role, the second-longest-serving spokesperson of Trump's second term. Before returning to the West Wing, she ran unsuccessfully for a U.S. House seat in New Hampshire in 2022 and served as national press secretary for Trump's 2024 campaign, building a reputation as one of his most combative and camera-ready defenders.

Leavitt gave birth to her second child in May — becoming the first press secretary to give birth while holding the job — and returned from maternity leave on July 16. "Since returning to the podium, I've 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 in a statement announcing her departure.

A high-profile exit

Trump praised Leavitt on Truth Social, writing that she "will now be one of my top outside advisors, and an influential voice within the Republican Party" heading into the 2026 midterms. Leavitt echoed the sentiment in a post on X, calling the job "the honor and adventure of a lifetime."

No successor has been named. During Leavitt's maternity leave this summer, the administration didn't appoint an interim press secretary; Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio were among the officials who filled in at the briefing room podium.

"I CANNOT BE THE BEST MOM MY TWO YOUNG CHILDREN DESERVE WHILE DEVOTING THE CONSTANT TIME, ENERGY AND ATTENTION REQUIRED."

Leavitt's tenure has been marked by combative exchanges with reporters and unwavering defenses of the administration's positions, cementing her as one of the most visible faces of Trump's second term. She trails only Sarah Huckabee Sanders, who served nearly two years as press secretary during Trump's first term before becoming governor of Arkansas, for longevity in the post.

Speculation over her replacement is already swirling inside the West Wing, with several deputy press officials and outside allies floated as possible successors, according to NBC News. Her departure adds to a wave of turnover among Trump's senior communications staff this year and comes as the White House navigates a packed fall legislative calendar, with a formal successor announcement expected before she exits at month's end, according to The Hill.