Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, announced Wednesday that she will leave the Trump administration at the end of August to spend more time with her young family. President Donald Trump confirmed her departure and said he understood and respected her decision.
Why is Karoline Leavitt leaving the White House?
Leavitt, 28, described her decision as “bittersweet.” In a social media post, she said that after returning to the White House following the birth of her daughter, she realized she could not give her two young children the time and attention they deserve while also meeting the demands of being White House press secretary.
She recently returned to the White House podium after giving birth to her second child, Viviana, in May. She and her husband, Nicholas Riccio, also have a 2-year-old son.
“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 — and that is why I have ultimately made the bittersweet decision to depart the White House and embark on a new chapter in my life,” Leavitt wrote.
Who will replace Karoline Leavitt?
President Donald Trump has not announced a replacement for Karoline Leavitt. He said she will continue to work with him as one of his top outside advisers and remain an influential voice in the Republican Party as he prepares for the 2026 midterm elections.
{{/usCountry}}President Donald Trump has not announced a replacement for Karoline Leavitt. He said she will continue to work with him as one of his top outside advisers and remain an influential voice in the Republican Party as he prepares for the 2026 midterm elections.
{{/usCountry}}“Karoline will now be one of my top outside advisors, and an influential voice within the Republican Party, as we work to defy History, and conclusively win the Midterm Elections,” the president wrote.
Leavitt joined Trump's 2024 presidential campaign and later served as its transition spokeswoman before Trump selected her as White House press secretary. She became the youngest person to hold the position when she took office in January 2025.
Did Nicki Minaj replace Karoline Leavitt?
Amid news of Leavitt's departure, a post claiming that Nicki Minaj would become the next White House press secretary went viral on X, formerly Twitter.
The post claimed: “Nicki Minaj will replace Karoline Leavitt as the new White House Press Secretary at the end of the month.”
The post quickly gained more than a million views.
Is Nicki Minaj really replacing Karoline Leavitt?
No. The claim is false. The viral post came from a parody account and was not an official announcement about Leavitt's replacement.
The post was shared by an account using the name "PobBase," which appears to mimic the well-known Pop Base account.
As of now, the White House has not announced who will succeed Leavitt as press secretary.
(With inputs from AP)