Trump says White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt to leave post
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt will step down from her position at the end of the month, President Donald Trump has announced, with Leavitt citing a desire to spend time with her young children and family as the reason for her departure. Leavitt, who is 28 years old, has been in the role for approximately a year, becoming the youngest person to ever hold the position of White House Press Secretary. According to Trump, Leavitt will continue to be involved with his administration, serving as one of his top outside advisors and an influential voice within the Republican Party. Leavitt's decision to leave her role comes after she recently returned to work from maternity leave, following the birth of her second child, a baby girl, in May. She also has a two-year-old son, and has expressed her desire to be able to devote more time and energy to her family.
Leavitt's tenure as White House press secretary has been marked by a sometimes combative relationship with the media, with her accusing some reporters of being biased or left-wing. Her office has also taken steps to exert control over the White House press pool, including stripping organizational duties from the White House Correspondent's Association and initially barring the Associated Press over its refusal to adopt the term "Gulf of America". Despite these controversies, Leavitt has been widely praised by supporters of the Trump administration for her ability to remain "on message" and ferociously defend the president's policies. She is the second longest-serving press secretary in either of Trump's administrations, following only Sarah Huckabee Sanders. Leavitt's background includes serving as communications director for New York Republican congresswoman Elise Stefanik, as well as running for Congress in New Hampshire in 2022, where she emerged victorious from a contested Republican primary but ultimately lost to Democrat Chris Pappas.
The departure of Leavitt from her role as White House press secretary has sparked speculation about who will replace her, with the White House yet to comment on potential choices or the timeline for selecting a new press secretary. During Leavitt's maternity leave earlier this year, a series of senior Trump administration figures took the podium, including Vice-President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Secretary of the Interior Doug Bergum. White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, who described Leavitt as a "close friend" and "role model", has expressed his enthusiasm for continuing to work with her in her new role as an outside advisor. Leavitt herself has reflected on her time as White House press secretary, describing it as "the honor and adventure of a lifetime" and expressing her gratitude for the opportunity to serve in the role. Her decision to leave the position to focus on her family has been met with understanding and support from the president and other members of the administration.
⚡ Effects Interpreter
🌍World Economy
- ▶Cross-border money flows can quietly change direction after events like this.
- ▶Economies far from the headline can still catch the aftershocks.
🏙️Local Economy
- ▶Everyday costs in your town may drift as the wider economy reacts.
- ▶Small businesses nearby might tweak their prices in the weeks ahead.
🏦Rates & Banks
- ▶Any move in rates would probably come later, not overnight.
- ▶Interest rates and mortgage bills are unlikely to jump straight away from this alone.
❤️Health
- ▶The strain, if any, tends to show up quietly in everyday life.
- ▶Day-to-day stress can creep up if this starts touching familiar routines.
💷Wealth
- ▶Long-term savers usually ride out these small bumps just fine.
- ▶Any hit to your money is more likely a ripple than a wave.
🏠Housing
- ▶House prices and rents are unlikely to shift the moment this news breaks.
- ▶The property market tends to move slowly, so expect any change to take time.