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By Amanda Greenwood
Associate News Editor
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White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, the youngest person ever to hold the role, is stepping down at the end of August, President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday.
Leavitt, who gave birth to her second child in May, said on social media that the decision was driven by a desire to spend more time with her family. In his own post, the president said Leavitt would remain one of his top outside advisers and an influential voice in Republican politics.
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Leavitt, who was appointed at age 27 when Trump returned to the White House in January 2025, quickly became one of the administration's most recognizable public faces. Her tenure was marked by a combative approach to reporters and an increased emphasis on conservative, nontraditional media outlets and influencer-style engagement, reflecting broader shifts in how the Trump administration communicated with the public.
Of the five press secretaries Trump has had, Leavitt's tenure was the second longest—exceeding one year and six months. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, who served in the first Trump White House, left the podium a few weeks shy of two years.
As Leavitt prepares to step away from the briefing room, let's see where Trump's previous spokespeople ended up.
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Sean Spicer: From Briefing Room to Media Studio
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Sean Spicer holds the distinction of being Trump's first White House press secretary and also his shortest lived, serving in the role from January to July 2017.
His turbulent and highly publicized tenure made him one of the most recognizable figures in the administration's early months, further amplified by Melissa McCarthy's portrayal of him on Saturday Night Live.
After leaving the White House, Spicer authored The Briefing: Politics, the Press, and the President, offering his account of life inside the administration. He later moved into conservative media, hosting Spicer & Co. on Newsmax from 2020 until 2023.
In 2019, Trump appointed Spicer to the U.S. Naval Academy's Board of Visitors, where he served until 2021 after the Biden administration requested the resignations of Trump-appointed board members.
Since 2023, Spicer has worked as a political contributor for NewsNation, remaining firmly in the political media landscape.
Sarah Huckabee Sanders: From White House to Governor's Mansion
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Sarah Huckabee Sanders served as Trump's deputy press secretary before succeeding Spicer in the top role, which she held from July 2017 to 2019.
During that period, she emerged as one of the president's most prominent and loyal public defenders, regularly serving as the administration's chief spokesperson during some of its most contentious political battles.
After leaving Washington, Sanders returned to her home state of Arkansas—where her father, Mike Huckabee, had been governor from 1996 to 2007—and launched a gubernatorial campaign.
Sanders won the 2022 election, becoming the first woman to serve as Arkansas' governor when she assumed the role in January 2023.
She is now seeking a second term, having announced her reelection campaign.
In November, Trump endorsed Sanders on Truth Social, writing: "In my First Administration, Sarah strongly advocated for our America First Agenda as White House Press Secretary. Now, Sarah is a very distinguished and highly respected Governor, who ... has my Complete and Total Endorsement for Re-Election."
Her trajectory represents perhaps the biggest political leap of any Trump press secretary, moving from speaking on behalf of a president to governing a state in her own right.
Stephanie Grisham: From Trump Spokesperson to Trump Critic
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Stephanie Grisham succeeded Sanders as press secretary in July 2019, after initially serving as a spokesperson for first lady Melania Trump.
Her tenure was unusual because she never held a formal White House press briefing, instead relying largely on television appearances and other communication channels.
In April 2020, she moved back to the East Wing to serve as chief of staff and spokesperson for the first lady. However, Grisham abruptly resigned from those roles following the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.
She has become one of the most prominent former Trump administration officials to criticize the president, describing him as "erratic" and having a "terrifying" temper in her memoir, I'll Take Your Questions Now: What I Saw at the Trump White House.
She also "cooperated fully" with congressional investigators examining the events surrounding January 6.
Among Trump's former press secretaries, Grisham's post-White House journey may be the most dramatic.
Her political evolution culminated in an appearance at the 2024 Democratic National Convention, where she publicly argued against Trump's return to the White House.
Kayleigh McEnany: From TV to White House and Back
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Kayleigh McEnany succeeded Grisham as White House press secretary in April 2020 and served through the end of Trump's first term.
She played a central role defending the administration during the COVID-19 pandemic and became a prominent spokesperson during the contentious aftermath of the 2020 presidential election. Amid Trump's efforts to challenge the results, she argued that allegations of election irregularities should be investigated.
Following the administration's departure from office, McEnany returned to the media world from which she had emerged, having worked at Fox News and CNN prior to joining the White House.
In 2021, Fox News hired her as an on-air contributor before naming her a co-host of Outnumbered.
McEnany remains a prominent conservative commentator and continues to appear across Fox News programming, including as the host of her own show since 2025 - Saturday in America.
What's Next for Karoline Leavitt?
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Leavitt is expected to leave her post at the end of August after more than a year and a half as Trump's chief spokesperson.
Unlike some predecessors who distanced themselves from Trump after leaving government, Leavitt appears set to remain closely tied to the president and his political operation. Trump has already said she will remain an influential Republican voice heading into the 2026 midterm elections.
While no future position has been announced, her profile, communications experience and close relationship with the president could make her a candidate for roles in political media, campaigns, consultancies and more.
As her predecessors' careers show, the White House press secretary's office often serves as a launchpad rather than an end point.
Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Ben Kelly and Shakeema Edwards.
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