Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt to Step Down at End of Month

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt will leave her post at the end of the month, President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday. At 28, she is the youngest person to have ever held the role.

Leavitt, who recently returned to work after a short leave for the birth of her second child in May, said the decision was a difficult one. In a social media post, she explained that she could not be the best mother to her two young children while also devoting the constant time and energy the press secretary role demands.

Trump described Leavitt as one of his "most trusted aides" in his own social media announcement. He said she would now serve as one of his top outside advisors and an influential voice within the Republican Party as the party looks toward the midterm elections.

Leavitt, who previously served as a press aide during Trump's first term, has been a prominent advocate for the "Make America Great Again" movement. She has a two-year-old son and a newborn daughter.

Trump did not indicate who might succeed her in the high-profile position.