White House Scrambles to Replace Karoline Leavitt as Trump’s Press Secretary
The White House is searching for a new press secretary as Karoline Leavitt prepares to leave the Trump administration at the end of August, setting off intense speculation over who will become President Donald Trump’s next public-facing spokesperson.
Leavitt announced that she would step away after nearly 20 months behind the podium to spend more time with her two young children. The 28-year-old returned from maternity leave earlier this summer but ultimately decided that the demands of one of Washington’s most relentless jobs were no longer compatible with the time she wanted to devote to her family.
With Leavitt’s departure approaching, several familiar Trump allies have emerged as potential successors. Among the names floated are conservative commentator Scott Jennings, principal deputy press secretary Anna Kelly, Katie Miller, White House communications director Stephen Cheung and former White House official Taylor Budowich.
Alina Habba initially generated considerable speculation because of her long relationship with Trump and experience defending him in high-profile media appearances. Habba, however, has since publicly declared that she is not seeking the position, removing one of the early favorites from consideration.
Jennings has attracted particular attention after becoming one of the most recognizable conservative voices on CNN. Trump has repeatedly praised Jennings, calling him a “patriot” and promoting his recent book, while Jennings was reportedly considered for the press secretary position before Leavitt received the job following Trump’s 2024 victory.
Kelly represents perhaps the most natural internal option. As Leavitt’s principal deputy, she has already handled television appearances and other communications responsibilities for the administration, including filling in during Leavitt’s maternity leave. Promoting Kelly would give Trump someone already familiar with the White House communications operation.
Katie Miller has also been mentioned as a possibility. The wife of senior Trump adviser Stephen Miller previously served as press secretary and communications director for Vice President Mike Pence and has extensive experience working inside Republican administrations.
Another possibility is that Trump could temporarily avoid selecting a permanent replacement. During Leavitt’s maternity leave, the White House experimented with having senior administration officials take turns handling press appearances, including Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz.
Former Trump press secretary Sean Spicer believes whoever receives the job will almost certainly be someone already trusted by the president. Trump places enormous importance on communications and expects his press secretary to understand both his policies and the way he wants those policies presented to the American people.
Leavitt herself is helping Trump evaluate potential successors. In her final official interview as press secretary Thursday, she revealed that she has privately discussed the decision with the president and offered advice about what qualities the next spokesperson will need.
According to Leavitt, there is “no shortage of applications” from people interested in taking over the high-profile position. She emphasized that Trump must completely trust whoever stands behind the podium because the president and press secretary spend considerable time together and communicate constantly about administration priorities.
Replacing Leavitt could prove difficult. She became the youngest White House press secretary in American history and developed a reputation for aggressively challenging hostile questioning while dramatically expanding access for independent journalists, podcasters and other nontraditional media outlets.
Her successor will also take over at a politically critical moment. With the midterm elections approaching and Republicans fighting to protect narrow congressional majorities, the next press secretary will immediately become one of the administration’s most visible messengers.
Trump has not announced his final decision. But with Leavitt preparing to leave and several prominent allies competing for consideration, the race to become the next face of the Trump White House is entering its final stretch.