Karoline Leavitt Departs White House Press Secretary Role, Joins Super PAC

Politics18 sourcesAug 22, 2026

BalancedFactual rigor 54/100

The Story

Outgoing White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt announced Friday that she will join a pro-Trump political fundraising group, MAGA Inc., after she leaves her post at the end of August.

Leavitt confirmed her next career move to reporters outside Air Force One. Leavitt, 28, will return to work for MAGA Inc., for which she served as a spokesperson from 2022 to 2024 before joining Trump's 2024 campaign. She will still join President Trump at a Republican convention in Dallas, Texas, in early September, ahead of November's midterm elections.

Leavitt, who became the youngest press secretary in history when she joined the second Trump administration in January 2025, announced her departure on August 12. She stated she felt she could not be the best mother to her two young children while devoting the constant time and energy required of the White House Press Secretary.

She gave birth to her second child in early May and returned from maternity leave on July 16. President Trump praised Leavitt at a Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, rally on Friday, saying she had done an unbelievable job and that she would be working for them outside. Trump said he had never had so many job applications in my life for the position.

Conservative commentator Scott Jennings is considered an early favorite for the role, according to CNN. Trump told reporters Friday that Jennings is good for the position. Jennings has been defending Trump aide Natalie Harp on CNN and social media, which political spectators viewed as him jockeying for Leavitt's position. Other names on a shortlist reportedly include former George W. Bush press secretary Ari Fleischer, Trump aide Natalie Harp, White House communications director Steven Cheung, Breitbart's Matthew Boyle, and former Trump attorney Alina Habba.

Trump also mentioned Margo Martin as a possibility. MAGA diehards are reportedly trying to torpedo Scott Jennings' bid for the press secretary role. Trump has not yet named Leavitt's successor.

What they agree on

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt will depart her role at the end of August 2026.
Leavitt announced she will join MAGA Inc., a pro-Trump political action committee, after leaving the White House.
President Donald Trump is considering replacements for Leavitt, with conservative commentator Scott Jennings identified as an "early favorite."
Leavitt is leaving her position to spend more time with her two young children, having given birth to her second child in May.
Trump praised Leavitt's work and stated he has received many applications for the press secretary position.

Where they split

Salon frames Scott Jennings' potential appointment as "Trump's final coup" and an example of a "professional Trump apologist" cashing in, while RedState focuses on Trump's "surprisingly touching moment" sendoff for Leavitt.
The New York Post highlights a lighthearted incident where country stars Luke Bryan and Jason Aldean joked about filling the press secretary role, a detail not present in other coverage.
The Washington Examiner and The Hill emphasize Trump's direct comments about Scott Jennings being a "good option" for the role, while Raw Story and The Daily Beast suggest Trump is "teasing" a snub for Jennings and that "insiders say 'it's not going to be him.'"
Mediaite resurfaces a 2021 interview featuring Natalie Harp and Karoline Leavitt discussing election denial, providing a specific historical context for Leavitt's political views that other articles do not include.