Here’s who could replace Karoline Leavitt as the next White House press sec

Leavitt, who served as press secretary to the Trump campaign during his third bid for the White House, took a months-long break earlier this year as she welcomed her second child with her husband Nicholas Riccio.

President Trump broke the news of her replacement on Truth Social Wednesday, where he said she was resigning so she could “spend more time with her beautiful young children and family.”

Leavitt herself confirmed her resignation in a lengthy post on X but said she will transition to an advisory role in the White House.

https://twitter.com/karolineleavitt/status/2087625708554100999?s=20

“The truth is since returning to the White House after the birth of my daughter, 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 — and that is why I have ultimately made the bittersweet decision to depart the White House and embark on a new chapter in my life,” she wrote. “President Trump has asked me to continue serving as a top advisor to him on the outside, and I will always remain a vocal advocate for MAGA and the Republican Party.”

Since the announcement, speculations have arisen as to who may be filling Leavitt's shoes ahead of the midterm elections.

Sources within the administration have indicated to the New York Post that Alina Habba is leading the pack of potential names to serve as Trump’s new press secretary. Habba, a longtime personal attorney to Trump, became a prominent defender of the president during his numerous legal battles and was tapped early in his second administration to serve as counselor to the president. She later served as interim U.S. attorney for New Jersey before leaving the position after courts ruled that her appointment was unlawful.

Among the other potential replacements are current Principal Deputy White House Press Secretary Anna Kelly, who serves as Karoline Leavitt’s No. 2 and previously worked as the RNC’s national press secretary, and White House Communications Director Steven Cheung, a longtime Trump aide who worked on the president’s 2016, 2020 and 2024 campaigns.

CNN senior political commentator and Republican strategist Scott Jennings has also been floated for the position, as has Matthew Boyle, the Washington bureau chief for Breitbart News who has longstanding access to Trump and administration officials.

Former White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Communications and Personnel Taylor Budowich is another possibility, along with Katie Miller, the former press secretary and communications director for Vice President Mike Pence and wife of White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller.

Other names circulating include Monica Crowley, the current U.S. chief of protocol; longtime Trump adviser Jason Miller; executive assistant to the president Natalie Harp; former Arizona gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake; Trump Kennedy Center public relations executive Roma Daravi.

The White House has not announced a final decision on Leavitt’s successor, leaving the field open as Trump weighs who he believes can best defend his administration and deliver its message to the American public heading into the 2026 midterm elections.

Newsmax floated Human Events Daily host Jack Posobiec as a possibility, with Posobiec replying, “no, no, no, I don't know if you’d want to inflict any more emotional damage to the White House press corps after the whole Turkey thing.” Posobiec instead floated Katie Zacharia for the role, noting her previous experience as DHS spokesperson and current role as Senior Communications Advisor for Truth Social.

https://twitter.com/HumanEvents/status/2087742107544883603?s=20

https://twitter.com/HumanEvents/status/2087738018392060405?s=20

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