Karoline Leavitt is leaving one of the most visible jobs in the Trump White House. President Donald Trump has announced that the 28-year-old White House press secretary will step down at the end of August, citing her desire to spend more time with her young family after recently returning from maternity leave. Trump praised Leavitt as one of his best press secretaries and said she would remain involved as an external communications adviser and continue supporting his political movement.Her departure has immediately triggered speculation over who will take over the podium. Anna Kelly, currently the White House principal deputy press secretary, is among the most closely watched names. Other potential contenders include Matthew Boyle, Washington bureau chief of Breitbart News, and former ESPN anchor Sage Steele. No successor had been officially announced at the time of writing.— karolineleavitt (@karolineleavitt) Why is Karoline Leavitt resigning?Leavitt's decision comes after a relatively short but highly consequential tenure. She became press secretary in January 2025 at 27, making her the youngest person ever to hold the position. She had already been part of Trump's political orbit since his first administration, later serving as communications director for Rep. Elise Stefanik and as national press secretary for Trump's 2024 campaign.Her latest decision appears to be centred on family. Leavitt recently returned from maternity leave following the birth of her second child and has said that the demands of the job made it difficult to devote the time she wanted to her children. Trump said she would continue advising him from outside the White House.Who could replace Karoline Leavitt: Anna Kelly If Trump chooses an internal successor, Anna Kelly would be one of the clearest options. Kelly serves as principal deputy press secretary, placing her immediately within the White House communications hierarchy and giving her direct experience with the job she could inherit.Kelly joined the Trump administration in January 2025 after working as national press secretary for the Republican National Committee. Before that, she held communications roles for Republican Rep. Derrick Van Orden, Michels for Governor and the Republican Party of Wisconsin.She became particularly visible when Leavitt was away on maternity leave, stepping forward as a public representative of the administration. Reports have since identified her as a leading possibility to replace Leavitt.From beauty queen to White House communications officialKelly's résumé is unusual for a senior White House aide. Before building her political career, she competed in beauty pageants. She won Miss State Fair of Virginia in 2019, campaigning on youth political engagement, and later won the Miss Madison contest in Wisconsin.She studied political science at Auburn University, graduating in 2017 with a minor in community and civic engagement, and later earned a master's degree in political management from George Washington University. Her professional background subsequently shifted firmly toward Republican politics and communications.Matthew Boyle: The Breitbart journalist in contentionMatthew Boyle, Washington bureau chief of Breitbart News, represents a very different route to the podium. Boyle is an experienced conservative journalist who oversees Breitbart's US political coverage and has interviewed Trump, Vice President JD Vance and members of Trump's Cabinet. He has also interviewed international leaders, including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani. His Doha Forum profile identifies him as a senior figure in conservative political journalism.Boyle also hosts Breitbart News Saturday on SiriusXM Patriot and has moderated Breitbart events involving senior Trump administration figures.His strong connections within Trump-world make him an interesting possibility, particularly for an administration that has increasingly embraced conservative and nontraditional media. But, unlike Kelly, Boyle comes from journalism rather than the White House communications staff.Sage Steele: The television veteranFormer ESPN anchor Sage Steele is another name that has surfaced in discussions surrounding Trump's communications operation.Steele spent 16 years at ESPN and became a familiar television presence through programs including SportsCenter and NBA Countdown. She has also become increasingly outspoken on political and cultural issues. Her departure from ESPN in 2023 followed a settlement with the network after a dispute involving comments she had made about vaccination requirements and other subjects.Since leaving ESPN, Steele has moved closer to Trump's political orbit. According to The Telegraph, during the 2024 presidential campaign, she travelled to cities including Atlanta, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia and New York, acting as an unofficial spokesperson for Trump.