Leavitt’s New Role Revealed as Trump Weighs Replacement Options
- Edited by: Sagar Kar
- Updated Aug 23, 2026, 23:17 IST
Karoline Leavitt confirmed she is leaving her role as White House Press Secretary to spend more time with her family, but will return to MAGA Inc. as one of Trump’s top outside advisers.
Karoline Leavitt and Donald Trump.
Karoline Leavitt, who is stepping down as White House Press Secretary at the end of the month, has finally cleared up what comes next for her. Speaking to reporters on Friday, the 28-year-old said she plans to spend more time with her family, but she isn’t stepping away from politics altogether.
Instead, Leavitt confirmed she will join MAGA Inc., the super PAC backing President Trump, and take on a role as one of his top outside advisers. It’s not her first stint with the group either. Before joining Trump’s 2024 campaign, she had already worked for MAGA Inc., so this move is something of a return.
“You guys will still see me all the time,” she told reporters, according to Fox News. One detail Leavitt hasn’t shared yet is exactly what her title or day to day responsibilities will look like at the super PAC. She did mention she’s expected to be back involved by September, in time for the Republican midterm convention.
A Sudden Exit Caught the White House Off Guard
Leavitt’s departure reportedly took Trump by surprise when she first announced it earlier this month. He broke the news himself in a Truth Social post, explaining that she wanted more time with her two young children, a two-year-old son and a three-month-old daughter.
According to a White House official who spoke to The Independent, part of the reason Trump hasn’t rushed to name her replacement comes down to how close the two have been throughout his administration. Filling that gap, the official suggested, won’t be simple.
Trump Weighs In On Who Could Take Over
Even without confirming a replacement, Trump hasn’t been shy about discussing the search. Speaking to reporters Friday as he boarded Air Force One for a campaign stop in South Carolina alongside Senator Darline Graham, the president said interest in the job has been overwhelming.
“I have never had so many job applications in my life,” Trump said. “They all want that job. They love that job.”
He credited Leavitt for that surge in interest, saying she made the position look “very glamorous.”
A handful of names have come up as possible successors. Trump mentioned longtime staffer Margo Martin and CNN commentator Scott Jennings as people he’s considered. When asked directly about the two, he said he thought Jennings “is good,” before adding, “What do you think of Margo? Maybe Margo.”
Other names floated in media speculation include Katie Miller, married to White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, and Deputy Press Secretary Anna Kelly. Alina Habba, who previously served as Trump’s personal lawyer, was also mentioned as a possibility, but she pushed back on that idea directly in a post on X.
Frequent Turnover Isn’t Unusual
Presidents cycling through multiple press secretaries during a single term isn’t out of the ordinary. The role demands constant availability and regularly draws criticism from both the public and the press.
Trump’s first term alone saw four different people hold the position: Sean Spicer, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, Stephanie Grisham, and Kayleigh McEnany.
For now, Leavitt’s replacement remains unnamed, though based on Trump’s comments, a decision may not be too far off.
Original source: https://www.timesnownews.com/world