{"id":32681,"date":"2026-08-17T13:36:20","date_gmt":"2026-08-17T17:36:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/news\/?p=32681"},"modified":"2026-08-17T13:37:31","modified_gmt":"2026-08-17T17:37:31","slug":"karoline-leavitt-steps-down-as-white-house-press-secretary-to-focus-on-her-family","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/news\/2026\/08\/karoline-leavitt-steps-down-as-white-house-press-secretary-to-focus-on-her-family","title":{"rendered":"Karoline Leavitt Steps Down as White House Press Secretary to Focus on Her Family"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Gage Skidmore \/ Flickr<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Karoline Leavitt is walking away from one of the most high-profile jobs in Washington for a reason many parents can understand: She wants to be there for her children.<\/p>\n

President Donald Trump announced Wednesday that Leavitt will step down as White House press secretary at the end of August, less than a month after she returned from maternity leave following the birth of her daughter, Viviana, on May 1.<\/p>\n

Trump said Leavitt, 28, is leaving \u201cso she can spend more time with her beautiful young children and family,\u201d adding that it is a decision he \u201ctotally understand[s] and respect[s].\u201d<\/p>\n

Leavitt soon confirmed the news herself, revealing just how difficult it had become to balance motherhood with the relentless demands of the White House.<\/p>\n

\u201cBeing a mother and welcoming a new baby while working in one of the most demanding jobs in the world has been the most rewarding yet challenging season of my life, to say the least,\u201d Leavitt wrote on X.<\/p>\n

She said that after returning to work, she began to realize she could not give both roles everything she believed they deserved.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe 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,\u201d she wrote.<\/p>\n

That realization, Leavitt said, led to the \u201cbittersweet decision\u201d to leave the White House and begin a new chapter.<\/p>\n

It is a choice that puts a familiar struggle for working parents on a very public stage. Careers can bring purpose, opportunity and achievement, but raising young children brings demands that do not always fit neatly around a work schedule. For Leavitt, that tension ultimately led her to choose more time at home.<\/p>\n

Her departure comes after a history-making run. Leavitt became the youngest White House press secretary ever when she took the job at 27 after Trump returned to office in January 2025. She had previously served as Trump\u2019s spokesperson during his 2024 presidential campaign and transition, worked in his first administration and served on the staff of Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik.<\/p>\n

Trump offered high praise for Leavitt, calling her \u201cone of the best White House Press Secretaries in the History of the Office\u201d and thanking her for a \u201cjob well done.\u201d<\/p>\n

She will not disappear from politics entirely. Trump said Leavitt will become one of his \u201ctop outside advisors\u201d and remain an influential voice in the Republican Party heading into November\u2019s midterm elections.<\/p>\n

Members of the administration also applauded her decision. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said he had \u201ctremendous respect\u201d for Leavitt for putting her family first, while White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles praised her as \u201cunmatched\u201d in delivering the president\u2019s message.<\/p>\n

Leavitt and her husband, real estate developer Nicholas Riccio, are raising two young children. After making history at the White House podium, Leavitt is now prioritizing being more present for her family during a season she cannot get back.<\/p>\n

The White House has not announced her replacement.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Karoline Leavitt is walking away from one of the most high-profile jobs in Washington for a reason many parents can understand: She wants to be there for her children. President Donald Trump announced Wednesday that Leavitt will step down as White House press secretary at the end of August, less than a month after she…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":462,"featured_media":32684,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fbia_status":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-32681","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\nKaroline Leavitt Steps Down as White House Press Secretary to Focus on Her Family<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Karoline Leavitt is stepping down as White House press secretary, saying she wants to put her two young children and family first.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" 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