President Donald Trump stated Friday that he has received a high volume of applications to replace outgoing White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt. While boarding Air Force One for a campaign event in South Carolina, the president said he had never seen so many people interested in the role, adding that Leavitt had made the position appear "glamorous."
Leavitt, 28, announced earlier this month that she will leave her position at the end of August to spend more time with her family, including her two-year-old son and three-month-old daughter. A White House official told The Independent that the president was caught off-guard by the resignation and is taking his time to name a successor due to his close professional relationship with Leavitt.
During his remarks on Friday, Trump identified potential candidates for the role, specifically mentioning longtime staffer Margo Martin and CNN commentator Scott Jennings. Other names that have been discussed in media speculation include White House Deputy Press Secretary Anna Kelly and Katie Miller, the wife of Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller. Attorney Alina Habba was also suggested but stated on social media that she was not seeking the position.
Leavitt confirmed Friday that after leaving the White House, she will join MAGA Inc., a super PAC (a political action committee that can raise unlimited sums of money) that supports the president. She will also serve as a top outside adviser to Trump and plans to participate in the Republican midterm convention in September. Leavitt previously worked for the super PAC before joining the 2024 campaign.
The scale of this transition involves the management of the White House press office and its coordination with federal agencies. While the specific number of applicants was not disclosed beyond Trump's statement that he had "so many," the selection will determine who handles the administration's messaging during the upcoming midterm election cycle. For the 28-year-old Leavitt, the youngest person to hold the role, the move marks a shift from a taxpayer-funded government position to a privately funded political role at a super PAC, where she will influence campaign-related strategy rather than official government policy.
This change continues a pattern of turnover in the press secretary role, which saw four different individuals hold the position during Trump’s first term. The next official will likely face immediate scrutiny regarding the administration's platform heading into the midterms. Leavitt is scheduled to remain in her current role until the end of August, with her transition to MAGA Inc. and the advisory role expected to take effect in September. A specific date for the appointment of a successor has not been announced.