President Trump said Wednesday that Karoline Leavitt, his press secretary, would step down at the end of the month.
In a post on Truth Social, Mr. Trump said that Ms. Leavitt, who recently returned from maternity leave after giving birth to her second child, would be departing to spend time with her young children and family — a decision he said “I totally understand and respect.”
He said Ms. Leavitt would become one of his top outside advisers and “an influential voice within the Republican Party, as we work to defy History, and conclusively win the Midterm Elections.” He added that she had been “one of the best White House Press Secretaries in the History of the Office.”
Ms. Leavitt, the youngest person to assume the role, worked for Mr. Trump in his first term and on his second campaign. She said in a post on social media that serving as press secretary over the past year and a half had “been the honor and adventure of a lifetime.”
“Being a mother and welcoming a new baby while working in one of the most demanding jobs in the world has been the most rewarding yet challenging season of my life, to say the least,” Ms. Leavitt continued. “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.”
She added that she would “always remain a vocal advocate for MAGA and the Republican Party,” and that she would remain on the front lines of the party’s fight against what she called an “existential threat” by Democrats.
“My fight is entering a new phase,” she added, “but it is far from over.”
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