Karoline Leavitt to Step Down as White House Press Secretary

The departure of a fifth press secretary in one administration raises measurable questions about White House communications continuity and its downstream effect on press access and policy...

Karoline Leavitt is preparing to leave her position as White House Press Secretary, according to a report published August 13, 2026 by The Guardian. If confirmed, her departure would make her the fifth individual to hold the role during the Trump administration, based on the same report. The White House has not issued a formal statement naming a successor as of the date of this publication.

Leavitt assumed the press secretary role at the start of the second Trump administration. The Guardian report notes that her tenure began with a disputed claim at her first news conference, in which she stated that the Biden administration had planned to use $50 million in a specific manner. The Biden administration's budget documents and Office of Management and Budget records would be the applicable public sources to verify or refute that specific figure and its intended purpose. No independent verification of that claim is cited in the source material available to this publication.

The press secretary position is a non-Senate-confirmed White House staff role. Compensation and appointment terms are governed by the White House Personnel Authorization Act and are disclosed annually through the Report to Congress on White House Office Personnel, a public document submitted each year under 5 U.S.C. Section 5307. The most recent such report covering Leavitt's salary and title would be the 2025 submission, which is publicly available through the White House website.

What remains unknown at this time: the identity of any named successor, the precise effective date of Leavitt's departure, and whether her exit is voluntary or at the direction of White House leadership. The Report to Congress on White House Office Personnel for fiscal year 2026, once released, would formally document any staffing change in the communications office. A formal White House personnel announcement would constitute the primary confirmable record of succession.