Karoline Leavitt has announced that she will begin a new role with MAGA Inc., the super PAC aligned with President Donald Trump.
The White House press secretary is leaving her position after welcoming her second child in May and deciding that the demands of the job made it difficult to give her young family the time and attention they needed.
At 28, Leavitt established herself as a prominent conservative figure during Trump’s second term. She became a familiar presence at White House briefings, where her confident style quickly made her one of the administration’s most recognizable voices.
She will now join the Republican-backed political action committee as it reportedly prepares to spend as much as $350 million ahead of the upcoming midterm elections.
Leavitt shared news of the move aboard Air Force One on Friday night, although she did not disclose the official title she will hold at MAGA Inc.
As Leavitt prepares for her next chapter, Trump has been openly discussing possible candidates to succeed her as White House press secretary and one of his closest advisers.
The president said he already had someone in mind, while also revealing that his team had received a huge number of applications for the high-profile position.
Before boarding Air Force One this week, the 80-year-old president was asked who might replace Leavitt. He responded, “Maybe you, maybe you,” while pointing toward the assembled reporters.
Leavitt, 28, rapidly became a prominent figure in her own right during Trump’s second term, commanding attention at White House briefings and public appearances
Melania Trump and White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt attend the annual White House Correspondents’ Association dinner in April 2026
When a reporter asked whether conservative commentator Scott Jennings might be considered, Trump offered an approving response.
“Scott Jennings is good,” the Republican leader said, before returning to his lighthearted suggestion that members of the White House press corps could also be contenders.
“I will tell you this,” Trump added. “I have never had so many job applications in my life.”
Leavitt agreed, replying: “Yes, sir.”
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Trump continued: “They all want that job, they love that job. She’s made that job very glamorous.”
In the announcement revealing her departure last week, Leavitt described the decision as deeply personal.
“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.
“The truth is since returning to the White House after the birth of my daughter, I have felt in my heart that I cannot be the best mom my two young children deserve while devoting the constant time, energy, and attention required of the White House Press Secretary.”
Her announcement came soon after she returned to Pennsylvania Avenue from maternity leave, where she had told colleagues and reporters: “Let’s get back to work.”
Leavitt became a mother of two earlier this year after welcoming her daughter in May
Leavitt returned from maternity leave on July 16, following the birth of her daughter in May.
She and her husband, Nicholas Riccio, 61, also have a two-year-old son.
A source close to Leavitt, who became the youngest person ever to serve as White House press secretary, said she had spent much of her maternity leave seriously considering whether to resign. Trump reportedly contacted her regularly and repeatedly asked when she planned to return.
“No doubt one of the hardest decisions of her life so far,” the source told Our News Outlet.
A second source said Leavitt reached a firm conclusion soon after returning to work that she needed to step away.
“First week back she realized she wasn’t feeling it anymore,” the source said. “Trump really didn’t want her to leave as he actually trusts her and doesn’t like having to deal with new people in his circle when he wants to focus on getting stuff done in his time left in office.”
Trump addressed her departure in a post on Truth Social, describing it as “a decision I totally understand and respect.” He also praised Leavitt as “one of the best White House press secretaries in the history of the office.”
