WH Press Secretary Leavitt Leaving Job 08/13 06:23

   

   WASHINGTON (AP) -- White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, the 
youngest person to hold the role, will leave the Trump administration at the 
end of the month to spend more time with her young family.

   Leavitt, 28, called it a "bittersweet decision" in a social media post 
Wednesday shortly after President Donald Trump announced she would be stepping 
down. She recently returned to the White House podium after the birth of her 
second child, a daughter named Viviana, in May. She also has 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.

   Trump did not outline plans for who might replace her in the high-profile 
role. He said in a social media post of his own that her decision to leave is 
one "I totally understand and respect!" and indicated she would continue to 
play a role in his orbit.

   "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 worked as a spokesperson for MAGA Inc., a super PAC supporting 
Trump, before joining his 2024 campaign. In 2022, she ran for Congress in New 
Hampshire, winning a 10-way Republican primary before losing the general 
election to incumbent Democratic Rep. Chris Pappas.

   During Trump's first term in office, Leavitt worked as an aide in the White 
House press office. She then became communications director for New York 
Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik.

   Leavitt briefed from the White House press room less frequently than some of 
her recent predecessors. Trump, who regularly engages with reporters during 
White House events and during his travels, primarily deployed Leavitt to Fox 
News and other conservative news outlets to trumpet his agenda and take shots 
at Democrats and the mainstream media.

   Trump's first-term press secretaries included Sean Spicer and Sarah Huckabee 
Sanders, who were known for quarreling with reporters. Another, Stephanie 
Grisham, never held a briefing. Her successor, Kayleigh McEnany, often lectured 
the news media during her appearances in the press briefing room.