As August draws to a close, the White House faces the quiet but consequential task of replacing Karoline Leavitt, one of its most trusted voices, as Press Secretary. The role — part diplomat, part strategist, part lightning rod — demands a rare combination of loyalty, composure, and credibility that few can sustain under the unrelenting scrutiny of a presidency defined by its exacting standards. In the space between the podium and the Oval Office, whoever steps forward will inherit not just a job, but a test of character played out daily before the nation.
White House hunts for Leavitt's successor as press secretary role opens
That person will be very aware that he's watching every day.
Mark
Why is this job so hard? It's just talking to reporters, isn't it?
Mimi
It's much more than that. You're managing the president's relationship with an institution he views with deep suspicion. You're also the person coordinating between the press office and every other part of the White House—State Department, Defense, Treasury. And you're advising the president himself on strategy. It's a job where you're constantly caught between two forces pulling in opposite directions.
Mark
So Leavitt was good at that balance?
Mimi
Trump clearly thought so. He called her one of his most trusted aides. But that also means her replacement has to prove themselves to someone who has very high expectations and watches closely. One source told the BBC it's not easy—that person will know Trump is watching every day.
Mark
Why didn't they just hire a temporary replacement when Leavitt took leave?
Mimi
That's telling. Instead of bringing in someone from her office, they had Vice President Vance and Secretary of State Rubio do the briefings themselves. It suggests the White House might not see this as a job that needs to be filled immediately, or that they're still figuring out what they want the role to be.
Mark
Looking at the candidates, what do they have in common?
Mimi
Almost all of them have deep ties to Trump personally or to his movement. Habba was his lawyer. Katie Miller is married to Stephen Miller. Cheung has been with him since 2016. Even the media figures like Sage Steele and Scott Jennings have been vocal supporters. This isn't a job where you can be neutral or distant from the president.
Mark
Is there a frontrunner?
Mimi
The reporting doesn't suggest one. But Cheung, as communications director, is already in the building and already doing some of this work. That proximity might matter. Then again, Trump might want someone entirely new, someone who hasn't been worn down by the daily grind yet.
The Pulse
- Leavitt's departure leaves a vacuum at one of the most exposed and demanding posts in American political life, with no successor yet named.
- The role is far more than a daily briefing — it requires managing a combative press corps, coordinating across the entire administration, and serving as the president's strategic media conscience.
- When Leavitt took leave earlier this year, senior figures including the Vice President and Secretary of State stepped in, and the administration may lean on that model again rather than rush a permanent appointment.
- A wide field of candidates has emerged — lawyers, podcasters, deputies, and television commentators — each carrying distinct credentials and varying degrees of Trump's favor.
- The ultimate test for any successor will be whether they can satisfy a president with unforgiving expectations while retaining enough press credibility to function in the role at all.
As August draws to a close, the White House faces the quiet but consequential task of replacing Karoline Leavitt, one of its most trusted voices, as Press Secretary. The role — part diplomat, part strategist, part lightning rod — demands a rare combination of loyalty, composure, and credibility that few can sustain under the unrelenting scrutiny of a presidency defined by its exacting standards. In the space between the podium and the Oval Office, whoever steps forward will inherit not just a job, but a test of character played out daily before the nation.
Karoline Leavitt is leaving her post as White House Press Secretary at the end of August, and the administration has yet to name her replacement. The opening has triggered the familiar Washington ritual of speculation — who can manage the press, survive the bureaucracy, and meet a president whose standards are neither modest nor forgiving. Trump called Leavitt one of his most trusted aides, and finding someone to match that trust will not be straightforward.
The role demands far more than podium presence. The press secretary must navigate the perpetual friction between the White House and the media, serve as a conduit across a sprawling administration, and offer the president strategic counsel on his public image. A source close to the administration told the BBC that whoever takes the job will be watched closely every single day. When Leavitt took leave earlier this year, the White House did not promote from within her office — instead, senior figures including Vice President Vance and Secretary of State Rubio conducted briefings. Some expect that model to return, at least temporarily.
Several names have entered circulation. Alina Habba, Trump's former personal lawyer who represented him during his 2024 hush-money trial, is one possibility; Trump has praised her loyalty, though her path through the administration has been turbulent. Katie Miller, married to immigration architect Stephen Miller, brings experience as a press secretary and communications director, most recently at the Department of Government Efficiency. Anna Kelly, the current deputy press secretary, and Steven Cheung, the combative White House communications director, are also considered contenders.
Beyond the inner circle, former television anchor Sage Steele, immigration policy defender Tricia McLaughlin, and CNN commentator Scott Jennings — once a Trump critic, now a vocal defender — have all been floated. The White House has made no announcement. The decision will ultimately rest on who can hold the impossible balance: loyal enough for the president, credible enough for the press.
Karoline Leavitt is leaving her post as White House Press Secretary at the end of August, and the administration has not yet named her replacement. The job opening has set off the usual speculation about who might step into one of the most visible and demanding roles in any presidency—a position that requires not just skill at the podium, but the ability to manage fractious relationships with the press, coordinate across a sprawling bureaucracy, and satisfy a president known for his exacting, unforgiving standards.
Leavitt has been close to Trump for years, and he called her one of his most trusted aides when announcing her departure. Finding someone to fill those shoes will not be simple. When Leavitt took leave earlier in the year, the White House did not hire a temporary replacement from within her office. Instead, high-ranking figures—Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and others—stepped in to conduct the daily briefings. Some observers expect the administration might return to that model, at least for a time, rather than immediately promoting someone new.
But the role is far more than a briefing room assignment. The press secretary must navigate the constant tension between a president and the media, serve as a conduit between the White House and the broader administration, field an endless stream of inquiries and requests, and offer the president strategic advice on how to manage his public image and message. A source close to the administration told the BBC that the job is genuinely difficult, and whoever takes it will know they are being watched closely every single day. Trump's expectations are not modest.
Several names have circulated as potential successors. Alina Habba, 42, was Trump's personal lawyer and represented him during his 2024 hush-money trial in New York, where he was convicted on 34 counts of falsifying business records. She served briefly as the president's counselor after his return to office and was nominated as U.S. attorney for New Jersey, though a court rejected her nomination and she eventually stepped down from an acting role in December. Trump has described her as unwavering in her loyalty.
Katie Miller, 34, is a conservative podcaster and former Trump staffer married to Stephen Miller, the White House Deputy Chief of Staff who has shaped the administration's hard-line immigration policies. She worked as press secretary and later communications director for former Vice President Mike Pence, and more recently served as communications director for the Department of Government Efficiency, the cost-cutting initiative led by Elon Musk. Her podcast, launched last August, targets conservative women.
Anna Kelly, 29, is the current deputy press secretary working under Leavitt. A former beauty queen, she has represented the White House to the media and previously worked as national press secretary for the Republican National Committee. Steven Cheung, the White House communications director and a longtime Trump adviser, is also in the mix. He has been known for his combative stance toward the press and his fierce defense of the president. He joined Trump's 2016 campaign, served as director of rapid response during the first term, and has worked on Trump's subsequent campaigns. After Leavitt's departure was announced, Cheung posted a photo with her and praised her as a great teammate and loyal servant to the president.
Other candidates include Sage Steele, 53, a former television anchor and sportscaster who campaigned for Trump in 2024 and has become a prominent conservative media figure. Tricia McLaughlin, who served as assistant secretary for public affairs at the Department of Homeland Security and fiercely defended the administration's immigration policies, is another possibility. She has worked in various roles across the Treasury and State Department and has been a political contributor for ABC News. Scott Jennings, 48, a political commentator and senior contributor at CNN, has emerged as a vocal defender of the Trump administration on air. Once a Trump critic, he has worked on four presidential campaigns and is considered close to former Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell. Trump has publicly praised him, saying at a Michigan rally last year that Jennings defends him well on television.
The White House has made no announcement about who will take the job. The decision will likely hinge on who can best manage the impossible balance between serving a demanding president and maintaining enough credibility with the press to do the work at all.
Notable Quotes
It's not easy. That person will be very aware that he's watching every day.— Source close to the administration
Karoline has been the best teammate. She is fiercely loyal, unflappable, and a great person who serves the President with honor.— Steven Cheung, White House communications director
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Politics & Governance