White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Thursday that her departure from the administration is “bittersweet” as she prepares to leave the podium after nearly 20 months, while continuing to advise President Donald Trump from outside the White House.
Leavitt made the comments during her final official interview as press secretary on “Fox & Friends,” where she also revealed that she has been advising Trump on the selection of her successor. She said there is “no shortage of applications” for the high-profile position but declined to identify any candidates.
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“Ultimately, it has to be his decision to make,” Leavitt said, adding that the next press secretary must have the president’s complete trust because the two will spend significant time working together.
Leavitt, 29, was named White House press secretary by Trump in November 2024 and became the youngest person to hold the position in U.S. history. She formally began the role when Trump returned to the White House on January 20, 2025.
Trump announced earlier this month that Leavitt would leave the position at the end of August to spend more time with her young children and family. She gave birth to her second child, a daughter, in May and returned to the White House podium in July following maternity leave.
In her final interview, Leavitt described the decision to leave as difficult despite her strong attachment to the administration. “It’s bitter because I’m leaving a job that I love so very much, and it’s been the honor and blessing of a lifetime to work for this president, President Trump. There will never be another like him,” she said.
Leavitt said she was looking forward to spending more time with her children while remaining involved in Trump’s political operation. Trump has said she will become one of his top outside advisers and remain an influential voice within the Republican Party.
Reuters reported earlier this month that Leavitt would continue working as an outside communications adviser and party operative after leaving the White House. Her departure comes as Trump prepares for the November midterm elections, with the White House yet to announce her replacement. Leavitt said she would continue helping Trump with the selection process if he wanted her assistance.
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“I’ll be here to help him if he continues to want me to do so,” she said. Leavitt also praised Trump as an understanding “boss and a friend,” saying her time as his spokesperson had been “the adventure of a lifetime.”
The transition will mark the end of a nearly 20-month tenure in which Leavitt became one of the administration’s most visible and outspoken defenders of Trump.