Karoline Leavitt’s decision to leave the White House has immediately created another major question for President Donald Trump: who will take her place behind one of the most visible podiums in Washington?
Leavitt, 28, will depart as White House press secretary at the end of August to spend more time raising her two young children. Trump praised her as one of his “most trusted aides” and said she would remain an outside adviser.
But his announcement came without naming a successor.
Sources cited by both the Daily Mail and the New York Post say Trump has not yet settled on Leavitt’s replacement, opening speculation over several prominent figures inside and outside his administration.
No obvious successor inside the White House
Leavitt had kept her plans closely guarded, according to the Daily Mail, although sources said there had been indications in recent weeks that changes were coming.
One person close to the White House described her as “irreplaceable,” while another said officials were surprised Trump did not immediately announce someone to succeed her.
Principal deputy press secretary and former beauty queen Anna Kelly would technically be positioned to move up within the existing operation, according to the Daily Mail. However, one source predicted Trump could ultimately choose someone from outside the current White House team.
The communications operation has already experienced other departures. Deputy press secretary Abigail Jackson recently left, while director of media affairs Sonny Joy Nelson also departed.
In the short term, the administration could return to an arrangement similar to the one used during Leavitt’s maternity leave.
Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent have all previously appeared at White House briefings, giving Trump the option of relying on senior officials while deciding on a permanent press secretary.
Alina Habba emerges as a prominent possibility
Among the most notable names being discussed is Alina Habba.
The New York Post reported that sources inside and close to the administration viewed Habba and Breitbart Washington Bureau Chief Matthew Boyle as early potential front-runners.
Habba previously represented Trump as one of his defense attorneys and regularly appeared before television cameras speaking on his behalf. She later served briefly as counselor to the president before being appointed acting U.S. attorney for New Jersey.
Her extensive experience publicly defending Trump gives Habba one of the highest profiles among the potential candidates currently being discussed.
Boyle represents a different possibility. As a longtime conservative journalist, he has interviewed Trump numerous times, including during a recent Oval Office sit-down. According to the Post, he has support among well-connected Trump allies.
Scott Jennings draws attention as an outside choice
CNN political commentator Scott Jennings is another name receiving significant attention.
Sources quoted by the Daily Mail argued that Jennings has the temperament and experience needed to handle confrontational exchanges with the White House press corps.
One insider compared the possibility of Jennings joining the administration to Tony Snow, the Fox News journalist who became press secretary under President George W. Bush.
“He knows how to do the back and forth, take a punch, deliver a punch, but do it with a smile,” a source told the Daily Mail.
Jennings is not described as a traditional member of Trump’s political operation, but insiders cited in the report believe his television experience could translate effectively to the briefing room.
Other familiar Trump allies enter the conversation
Several other recognizable figures are being discussed.
The Daily Mail identified former Department of Homeland Security press secretary Katie Zacharia as a possibility, with one source noting that Trump has frequently shared clips of her Fox News appearances.
Former DHS spokesman Tricia McLaughlin has also been floated, although the Daily Mail reported that she is five months pregnant and considered unlikely to return.
Katie Miller, who previously served as press secretary to Vice President Mike Pence and later worked as a Department of Government Efficiency spokesman, has also been mentioned. However, sources told the Daily Mail she is unlikely to accept the position after recently welcoming her fourth child.
Other names reported by the Post include U.S. Chief of Protocol Monica Crowley and Kari Lake.
The unusually broad field reflects the absence of an obvious heir to Leavitt, whose combination of access to Trump, familiarity with his political operation and experience before television cameras made her a central figure in the administration’s communications strategy.
Trump still has the final decision
Leavitt’s departure was announced after Trump spoke with her about her decision. She had last been publicly seen alongside the president and his team during an Air Force One trip to Ohio for the Patriot Games.
She will remain connected to Trump after leaving her official position, with the president saying she will continue as an outside adviser.
Who takes over her day-to-day responsibilities, however, remains unresolved.
For now, Habba, Boyle, Jennings and several experienced Trump communications figures are among the distinguished names surrounding the search, but both reports indicate that Trump has yet to make his choice.
Until he does, the White House has the option of again turning to senior administration officials for briefings while the search for Leavitt’s permanent successor continues.
