Inside the search for Karoline Leavitt’s successor
With Karoline Leavitt stepping away, attention is turning to a growing list of potential candidates who could fill her role in the Trump team.
Outgoing White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt already has her next gig lined up and teased: “You guys will still see me all the time.”
Leavitt, 29, who announced on Aug. 12 that she is stepping down from her White House role to spend more time with her family, said she will soon be working for President Donald Trump’s MAGA Inc., USA TODAY previously reported. However, she did not specify her title or divulge additional details. Leavitt previously served as a spokesperson for the Trump-aligned super PAC before joining Trump’s 2024 campaign.
MAGA Inc. did not immediately respond to USA TODAY’s request for comment on Leavitt’s new role on Aug. 24.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on Aug. 21, Leavitt said she will miss the job, “but I love my kids even more,” adding she and her family plan to stay in Washington, DC, for some time, NBC News and Fox News reported.
“You guys will still see me all the time,” Leavitt said before the plane flew to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, where Trump spoke at a rally in support of Sen. Darline Graham.
Why is Karoline Leavitt leaving the White House?
Leavitt announced that she is stepping down as White House press secretary to spend more time with her family. She has two children with her husband, Nicholas Riccio, 60: a daughter born in May and a son.
Trump praised Leavitt in an Aug. 12 Truth Social post, calling her one of his most trusted aides and one of the best press secretaries in the presidential office’s history.
Leavitt became the youngest White House press secretary in U.S. history when she assumed the role at age 27. Her combative and energetic style made her one of the administration’s most recognizable public faces. As she leaves her role after 18 months at the end of August, she will also become the second-longest-serving press secretary under Trump after now-Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, who served in the role for almost two years during Trump’s first term.
Trump said Leavitt will remain a close adviser and influential voice within the Republican Party after her departure.
Farewell party
As Leavitt’s last day on the job edges closer, political strategist and podcast host Katie Miller threw her a farewell party complete with press room-themed goodies, including a podium-shaped cake and cookies that read “no more questions,” People reported, citing a now-expired Instagram Story post.
Contributing: Joey Garrison, USA TODAY
Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at sshafiq@usatodayco.com and follow her on X and Instagram @saman_shafiq7.