Trump’s spokesperson Karoline Leavitt to step down

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, known for her sharp comebacks against journalists, is set to leave her position at the end of the month, according to President Donald Trump. In a brief social media announcement, Trump described Leavitt as "one of my most trusted aides" and revealed she will become an influential voice within the Republican Party as a senior advisor.

The 28-year-old, who is the youngest person to hold the top spokesperson role, has been a staunch defender of Trump, delivering aggressive performances at often combative press briefings. Leavitt's departure comes weeks after she announced the birth of her second child, a girl named Viviana, just days after she had to postpone her maternity leave following an alleged assassination attempt on Trump during a White House Correspondents' Dinner.

In a social media post, Leavitt said she felt compelled to step away from her role as press secretary to be the best mother to her two young children. She noted that the challenge of fulfilling her duties while dedicating ample attention to her children had become untenable. Leavitt's tenure as press secretary was marked by a revival of regular briefings and a controversial shift in White House interactions with the press, including the decision to select reporters for close access to Trump in the Oval Office and Air Force One.

She also facilitated press credentials from right-wing media outlets, which diluted the presence of traditional news media that often pose more challenging questions. Raised in New Hampshire, Leavitt protested against a professor criticizing Trump in her university newspaper in 2017 and unsuccessfully ran for a congressional seat in 2022 on a pro-Trump platform.

Following Trump's 2020 election loss, she ran for Congress again but failed to secure the position. Leavitt's departure signals a potential shift in the White House's communication strategy as the president faces declining poll numbers and the Republican Party prepares for the November midterm elections.