President Donald Trump has plans to install a permanent successor for outgoing White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt. Senior officials reportedly have shared the timeline for a replacement. The decision leaves the administration’s most visible communications role in flux during a critical stretch of the political calendar.
Donald Trump might pick Karoline Leavitt’s replacement after midterms, officials say
A senior administration official claimed that Donald Trump intends to fill the position eventually but is not operating under any particular urgency. The midterm results could reshape the job’s requirements, so the White House may wait before making a final decision (via NBC News).
Until then, rotating guest briefers will handle press duties. Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent previously filled in during Leavitt’s maternity leave. Officials expect a similar arrangement once she departs.
Furthermore, a White House official told The Independent that leaving the post vacant, even temporarily, breaks with modern precedent. Press secretaries typically manage responsibilities beyond daily briefings, including coordinating with agency communications teams, staffing the president on foreign trips, and liaising with the White House Correspondents’ Association.
Leavitt announced her exit on X, calling it a “bittersweet decision” driven by her desire to focus on her two young children. Trump publicly backed the move, stating she would remain one of his “top outside advisors” and assist the Republican Party before November.
Officials attribute the lack of an immediate successor partly to the suddenness of Leavitt’s resignation. Her close relationship with Trump also factors into the delay. She began as a White House intern during his first term and leaves as his second-longest-serving press secretary, behind only Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders. Leavitt’s tenure produced notable friction with the press corps.
Now, Anna Kelly, the principal deputy press secretary, stands as the most senior official in the press shop below Leavitt. She has represented the administration frequently on television and radio, particularly on foreign policy matters. Alina Habba, Spencer Pratt, Kari Lake, Katie Miller, and Scott Jennings also surface in discussions as potential contenders.
Originally reported by Devanshi Basu on Mandatory.
