President Donald Trump has not yet selected a successor for White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, who is scheduled to depart her role on Friday. According to administration officials, the White House does not currently have a front-runner for the position as the search process continues. In the interim, responsibilities for conducting White House press briefings will rotate among top administration officials rather than members of the press and communications staff.
The transition follows the president's announcement two weeks ago that Leavitt would leave the administration to return to MAGA Inc., a super PAC supporting his political agenda. A super PAC, or political action committee, is an organization that can raise unlimited sums of money from corporations, unions, associations, and individuals to spend on elections. Leavitt previously stated she would serve as a top outside adviser to the president and participate in additional activities that have not yet been disclosed.
White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles is overseeing the search for a new press secretary. While the name of Republican commentator Scott Jennings was previously mentioned as a potential candidate, sources told CBS News he is unlikely to be the final choice. Despite Leavitt's departure, her entire press team will remain at the White House and report to Communications Director Steven Cheung. This includes her executive assistant, Kieghan Nangle, who will transition into a role as a press wrangler.
For the White House communications staff, the transition means approximately 15 to 20 employees will now report directly to the Communications Director. This administrative shift occurs as the Republican Party prepares for the upcoming midterm elections, where the White House stated Leavitt would remain an "influential voice." For the general public, the immediate impact will be a change in the frequency and format of televised briefings, potentially affecting the consistency of information provided about federal agency actions and executive orders.
The timeline for a permanent replacement remains uncertain, as administration officials noted the search is ongoing. The knock-on effects could influence how the administration coordinates messaging with the MAGA Inc. super PAC during the election cycle. For now, the transition is set to begin after Leavitt's final day on Friday, with the rotating briefing schedule and staff reporting changes taking effect immediately thereafter. No specific dates for a final hiring decision or the first rotating briefing have been announced.