President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday that Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, will step down at the end of August.

With less than three months until the midterm elections, the impending departure of one of the president's closest allies from the White House will significantly disrupt the president's press operation.

In a social media post, Trump called Leavitt "one of my most trusted aides" and stated that she "will be departing her role at the end of the month so she can spend more time with her beautiful young children and family, a decision I totally understand and respect!"

He also stated that Leavitt will remain an outside advisor.

Trump's exit comes at a difficult time for him, as the majority of Americans believe he hasn't given the nation's most pressing issues enough attention. He is also dealing with low approval ratings due to the ongoing battle with Iran and high gas costs.

As the youngest White House press secretary in history and the first pregnant woman in the demanding position, Leavitt, 28, made history. After a brief maternity leave, she was back at the podium in the briefing room last month.

During Trump's first term, Leavitt played a supporting role, but in his second term, she has become one of his most devoted and successful spokespersons. As a pit dog for the president and his ideas, she has developed a personal brand by welcoming friendly outlets and battling difficult questions from reporters.

She has also portrayed herself on social media and behind the microphone as a loving wife and working mother, taking her toddler son Niko to Air Force One and the Oval Office, posing for pictures with her husband at the White House Easter Egg Roll and Halloween celebrations, making an apple pie from scratch, and enjoying newborn cuddles with daughter Viviana.

As is sometimes the case with social media, the pictures don't accurately reflect her hard work.

She described her choice as "bittersweet" in a social media post on Wednesday. "The truth is since returning to the White House after the birth of my daughter, I have 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."

The president has been critical of people who represent him since he feels that he is the finest speaker for himself. According to a person familiar with the conversations, Leavitt took about a month off from the White House after her baby was born on May 1. During that time, the president frequently contacted her and occasionally inquired when she intended to return.

Leavitt only took a four-day leave of absence following the birth of her first child in July 2024, and she returned to the campaign trail the day after then-candidate Trump was assassinated in Butler, Pennsylvania.

In a later interview with Megyn Kelly, she said, "It kind of threw me right back to work much sooner than I would have probably expected or hoped."

Leavitt admitted that juggling the rigorous job with raising two young children was "challenging" when she took the White House stage again last month. "I view this as more than job — I view this as public service," she continued at the time.

Following Trump's first term, Leavitt ran for Congress in her native New Hampshire, but she lost the general election. She then developed into a reliable person who swiftly rose to the top of his inner circle throughout his 2024 presidential campaign.

Leavitt may now become a significant outside messenger as the 2026 midterms heat up.

"I will always be a vocal supporter of MAGA and the Republican Party, and President Trump has asked me to continue serving as a top advisor to him on the outside," she wrote on Wednesday.

An opening at the podium

The frequency of White House press briefings drastically decreased during Leavitt's recent maternity leave. Top officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Vise President JD Vance, made guest appearances at the lectern with differing degrees of success thanks to the press shop.

Leavitt "has one of the hardest jobs in the Administration," according to Vance, who added in his X post on Wednesday, "and I know how difficult yet rewarding a constant job like this can be for a young parent."

Some White House employes were unsure of Leavitt's replacement as of Wednesday afternoon, according to a source.

It might be difficult to find a replacement for one of the most prominent women in Trump's government.

Leavitt is the second-longest-serving press secretary under Trump, having held the position for eighteen months. During Trump's first term, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, who is currently the governor of Arkansas, served in that capacity for just under two years. Sean Spicer held the position for six months, Stephanie Grisham for ten, and Kayleigh McEnany for eight.

During Trump's second term, there has been some turnover in the White House press office. After eight months, Taylor Budowich, the deputy chief of staff for communications, left. Harrison Fields and Abigail Jackson, two of Leavitt's deputies, have also departed.

Leavitt has "been the best teammate," according to White House communications director Steven Cheung, who complimented her stint on Wednesday.

We're very thrilled for her and her family, even tho today is a sad day. "Goodbye" is never appropriate. "See you down the road," he wrote on X.