Karoline Leavitt’s decision to leave the White House may have surprised Washington, but people close to the outgoing press secretary say the choice had been weighing on her for months.
Leavitt, 28, announced Wednesday that she will leave her position at the end of the month, only weeks after returning from maternity leave following the birth of her second child.
While her departure appeared sudden publicly, multiple sources told the Daily Mail that Leavitt had been seriously considering stepping away while she was still on maternity leave.
The demanding nature of her job, combined with raising two young children, reportedly left her facing one of the most difficult decisions of her career.
Motherhood changed the equation
Leavitt returned to the White House on July 16 after giving birth to her daughter in May. She and her husband, Nicholas Riccio, also share a two-year-old son.
In announcing her departure, Leavitt described the period as both rewarding and challenging.
“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,” she wrote.
Leavitt said that after returning to work, she came to believe she could not simultaneously give her children what they deserved and provide the constant commitment required of a White House press secretary.
According to one source cited by the Daily Mail, Leavitt had already been strongly considering leaving during maternity leave, while President Donald Trump was regularly contacting her and asking when she planned to return.
The source described it as “one of the hardest decisions of her life so far.”
Insiders describe exhaustion after her return
The situation reportedly became clearer once Leavitt was back at work.
One source described the weeks following her return as a period of severe “burnout,” saying the demands of the job alongside caring for her children meant she was getting little sleep.
According to the source, Leavitt was also determined not to allow her performance at the White House to suffer, ultimately staying as long as she believed she could continue doing the job well.
Another insider claimed that during her first week back, Leavitt realized she no longer wanted to maintain the same demanding schedule.
Two sources told the Daily Mail that she had been confiding in people close to her for roughly two months about being ready to step down. One said the challenge became finding a way to leave respectfully while receiving Trump’s approval.
Trump reportedly wanted Leavitt to remain in the administration. One source said the president trusted her and preferred maintaining familiar people within his inner circle.
“The president did everything he could to keep her,” another source claimed.
Trump keeps Leavitt inside his political circle
Despite losing his press secretary, Trump publicly backed Leavitt’s decision.
In a Truth Social statement, he said he “totally understand[s] and respect[s]” her choice and praised her as “one of the best White House press secretaries in the history of the office.”
Leavitt will not completely separate from Trump’s political operation, with the president saying she will remain a top outside adviser and an influential Republican voice ahead of November’s midterm elections.
Her departure nevertheless creates an important opening inside the White House. According to the report, a successor has not yet been selected and officials are still considering their options.
Leavitt had developed significant access during her time in the administration, including attending classified Situation Room meetings and participating in crisis strategy.
Her history with Trump stretches back to 2018, when she entered his administration as a presidential writer. She later became an assistant White House press secretary, served as press secretary for his 2024 campaign and took over the White House briefing room following his reelection.
A new chapter after an intense return
Katie Miller, wife of Trump aide Stephen Miller, told the Daily Mail that Leavitt had embraced motherhood and valued the time she spent at home with her children.
“Babies have a way of changing your perspective and shifting your priorities that is truly unexplainable,” Miller said, adding that parents only get one opportunity to experience the years when their children are young.
She also predicted that Leavitt would have significant professional opportunities ahead of her.
For now, Leavitt’s decision brings an intense chapter of her career to a close—one that insiders say ultimately came down to choosing between the relentless demands of the White House and time with her young family.
