Insiders Reveal Awkward Problem With Karoline Leavitt’s Exit
The youngest-ever White House press secretary is stepping down on Friday.
Jonathan Ernst/Reuters
President Donald Trump has yet to choose a frontrunner to replace press secretary Karoline Leavitt just days before she’s scheduled to leave the White House.
The 29-year-old’s surprise departure was announced on Aug. 12, with the mom of two saying she planned to leave by the end of the month to devote more time to her son, Niko, 2, and daughter Viviana, 3 months, with real estate developer Nicolas Riccio, 60.
Several names have been floated as possible replacements, including CNN’s resident conservative, Scott Jennings, 48, who has quietly met with Trump’s chief of staff, Susie Wiles, since the press secretary position opened up.
Insiders say Scott Jennings is not likely to replace Karoline Leavitt despite constantly defending the president on CNN.
CNN
But with Leavitt’s last day on Friday, the White House has yet to choose her replacement—or even to choose a leading candidate, CBS News reported.
Despite speculation about Jennings, the CNN star—who is detested in some MAGA circles because he originally blamed Trump for the deadly Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the Capitol—is not likely to be the final choice, sources told the outlet.
Get the best of The Beast delivered right to your inbox
By clicking “SUBSCRIBE” you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Other possible successors include Trump’s former personal lawyer and failed pick for U.S. attorney, 41-year-old Alina Habba; Monica Crowley, Trump’s chief of protocol and former conservative commentator; Jason Miller, a former Trump campaign spokesperson; and Leavitt’s deputy Anna Kelly, Politico reported earlier this month.
For now, top administration officials will take turns holding press briefings, as they did during Leavitt’s 11-week maternity leave, sources told CBS.
During her weeks away from the White House, the president, 80, repeatedly called Leavitt asking when she would return, which was reportedly one of the factors in her decision to leave.
Last year, Trump fawned over Leavitt—the youngest White House press secretary in history—telling Newsmax host Rob Finnerty, “She’s become a star. It’s that face, it’s that brain, it’s those lips—the way they move, they move like she’s a machine gun.”
Just weeks before her announcement, Leavitt had appeared on Trump’s daughter-in-law Lara Trump’s Fox News show to discuss how she was managing to do it all—and to praise her boss for “empowering so many working mothers and parents” at the White House.
She is now heading to an undisclosed role at MAGA Inc., the shadowy super PAC that holds Trump’s $400 million war chest, where she previously worked as a spokesperson in 2023 before joining Trump’s 2024 re-election campaign.
Donald Trump gave himself Karoline Leavitt’s job in an AI-generated social media post.
Truth Social
The president has remained quiet about his thoughts on her replacement, though he did share an AI slop post on social media declaring that he himself would be “The Best Press Secretary.”
The Daily Beast has reached out to the White House for comment.
See more of our coverage in your search results.
Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast here.
Register below to read this article for free or subscribe
to unlock unlimited access to The Daily Beast.
Monthly
$1
First month then $5.99/month
Annual
$35
First year then $59.99/year
Premium
$79
First year then $119.99/year
*Substack access provided by the next business day, using your subscription email. Choosing the Premium plan constitutes your permission to share your subscription email with Substack and your agreement to Substack’s Privacy Policy.
Already have an account? Sign In
Looks like you already have a subscription!
You're all set!
Thanks for subscribing.
Sign in or create an account
Login dialog
Loading comments…