White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt's surprise announcement that she will leave at the end of August has set off a scramble among Trump allies jockeying for one of the most visible jobs in Washington.
Leavitt, 28, told the public Wednesday that she could no longer balance the demands of the podium with raising her two young children, one of them born just weeks ago. She recently returned from maternity leave only to announce she would not be coming back for good. President Trump disclosed the departure on Truth Social, calling her "one of the best White House Press Secretaries in the History of the Office" and one of his "most trusted aides."
A White House source told the New York Post that Trump has not yet decided on a successor. But unnamed sources within and close to the administration are already pointing to two early front-runners: Alina Habba, Trump's former defense attorney and one-time interim U.S. attorney for New Jersey, and Matthew Boyle, Breitbart's Washington bureau chief.
Habba's name carries both star power and baggage. Trump appointed her as New Jersey's top federal prosecutor, but an appeals court later ruled she had remained in the position unlawfully after her interim term expired. She resigned following that ruling. Before the U.S. attorney stint, she served briefly as counselor to the president. Supporters see a combative communicator comfortable on camera; skeptics see a legal résumé marred by a federal court rebuke.
Boyle brings a different profile entirely. Newsmax reported that Trump knows Boyle personally and has granted him numerous interviews, including a recent Oval Office sit-down. Administration allies describe Boyle as "a favorite among well-connected Trump allies", someone fluent in the conservative media ecosystem and comfortable pressing the administration's message to a base that consumes it daily.
Leavitt's departure comes amid a broader wave of West Wing personnel changes. Trump recently named a new White House counsel set to start September 1, adding to the sense that the president is reshuffling key positions heading into the midterm stretch.
Beyond Habba and Boyle, the list of names in play is long. Steven Cheung, the current White House communications director, already handles some of the press secretary's behind-the-scenes work, meeting with reporters, shaping coverage, feeding information. But he has generally avoided the on-camera briefing role, even while Leavitt was on maternity leave. Whether he wants the spotlight is an open question.
Taylor Budowich, a former White House deputy chief of staff who helped shape the administration's early messaging and played a central role in last year's shake-up of the White House press pool, has also drawn mention. Budowich left for the private sector, so a return would require pulling him back inside.
Katie Miller, a former aide to Elon Musk at the Department of Government Efficiency and the wife of White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller, is generating speculation. So is Anna Kelly, the principal deputy press secretary, the person who, on paper, already sits closest to the vacancy.
Monica Crowley, the U.S. chief of protocol and a former journalist, regularly interacts with Trump and has the media background the role demands. The administration has not been shy about policing its own internal communications, which means whoever takes the podium will need to project discipline as much as charisma.
Former White House press secretary Sean Spicer, who held the job during Trump's first term, told Fox News that the next occupant "will undoubtedly be someone who has a strong existing relationship with President Trump."
"He values and understands the importance of this role in communicating his positions on policy, personnel and key issues."
That observation narrows the field more than it widens it. Trump has historically chosen press secretaries he already trusts, people tested by proximity, not résumé polish.
On the prediction market platform Kalshi, several names surged after Wednesday's news. Longtime Trump adviser Jason Miller and Fox News personality Rachel Campos-Duffy both saw spikes. So did Spencer Pratt, a name with no political title or role attached in any of the reporting, making his appearance on the board a curiosity at best.
Pro-Trump commentator Scott Jennings and former Arizona political candidate Kari Lake have also been floated, though neither appears to carry the insider backing that Habba and Boyle reportedly enjoy. Fox News also noted the possibility that the White House may skip a single permanent replacement altogether, opting instead for a rotating roster of officials at the briefing room podium. Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent have all previously led briefings.
The recent pattern of internal West Wing turbulence may factor into Trump's calculus. A president who prizes loyalty and message control will want someone at the podium who can absorb incoming fire without generating new headlines of their own.
Leavitt made history when she took the podium on Inauguration Day, January 20, 2025, becoming the youngest White House press secretary ever at 27. She will have served roughly 19 months by the time she departs, almost identical in length to Sarah Huckabee Sanders's just-under-two-year run during Trump's first term.
By comparison, Spicer, Stephanie Grisham, and Kayleigh McEnany each served less than a year during Trump's first administration. Biden's first press secretary, Jen Psaki, lasted roughly 16 months. Karine Jean-Pierre, Leavitt's immediate predecessor, served about two years and eight months. Under Obama, Robert Gibbs served a little more than two years, Jay Carney more than three, and Josh Earnest roughly two and a half.
Trump choosing an attorney for the role would not be unprecedented. McEnany, his final first-term press secretary, was also a lawyer. Habba's legal background fits that mold, though her federal court troubles add a wrinkle McEnany never carried.
Leavitt, for her part, said the decision was personal. In a statement carried by Breitbart, she explained the pull between the podium and home:
"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."
Trump said Leavitt will become one of his "top outside advisors" and "an influential voice within the Republican Party" as the administration works toward the midterm elections. She is expected to remain a close adviser even after she formally steps down.
Just The News confirmed that Leavitt recently gave birth to her second child, underscoring the timeline: she returned from maternity leave and almost immediately decided the dual demands were unsustainable.
With the end of August just weeks away, the clock is short. Trump likes to move fast on personnel, and whoever he picks will inherit a briefing room that has grown more combative under both parties. The next press secretary won't just need sharp elbows, they'll need the president's full confidence on Day One.
Leavitt earned that confidence young and kept it for 19 months. Replacing trust is always harder than replacing a title.