Race Intensifies to Fill White House Press Secretary Role as Leavitt Departs

President Donald Trump’s administration faces an urgent scramble to identify a successor to White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, who announced Wednesday that she will step down by the end of August to focus on her two young children. With roughly two weeks remaining before her departure, the 28-year-old spokeswoman’s exit has triggered intense speculation across Washington about her replacement.

Officials and Trump associates are weighing whether to appoint a single permanent replacement or adopt a rotating schedule of administration officials to conduct press briefings. This approach mirrors the arrangement used during Leavitt’s maternity leave earlier in the summer, when Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Vice President JD Vance, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, and CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz all appeared before the press corps.

Former White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer told Fox News Digital that Trump will likely select someone from his inner circle with an established relationship and understanding of the role’s strategic importance. Spicer, whose own tenure in the position was notably brief, declined to pursue the role a second time.

Alina Habba, currently serving as senior advisor to the attorney general for U.S. Attorneys, emerged as an early frontrunner but ranks third on betting platform Kalshi, behind conservative commentator Scott Jennings and Leavitt’s deputy, Anna Kelly. Habba previously served as Trump’s personal attorney and a prominent 2024 campaign surrogate before holding several administration positions.

Jennings, a CNN contributor and former aide to President George W. Bush, was previously considered for the role when Trump assumed office in 2024. Trump has publicly praised Jennings’ recent book and described him as a patriot who “gets it.”

Katie Miller, wife of senior advisor Stephen Miller and former press secretary and communications director to then-Vice President Mike Pence, has also been mentioned as a potential candidate. When asked about the possibility Wednesday, Stephen Miller smiled without offering comment.

Other names circulating include Breitbart’s Washington Bureau Chief Matthew Boyle and former White House Deputy Chief of Staff Taylor Budowich. White House Communications Director Stephen Cheung, known for his forceful defense of Trump, operates largely behind the scenes despite wielding considerable influence.

Leavitt ranks as Trump’s second-longest-serving press secretary with 19 months in office, trailing only Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders, who served 23 months during Trump’s first term. Stephanie Grisham held the position for nine months without conducting a single press briefing before being succeeded by Kayleigh McEnany.