Karoline Leavitt departs White House after high-profile, abrasive tenure

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt made a brief, low-key appearance at the podium on Thursday, accompanied by her husband and children for a family photograph. This marked a quiet end to her tenure, which was characterized by a high-profile and often abrasive defense of the Trump administration's policies.

Leavitt, who became the youngest press secretary in 2025, established herself as a fiery and unflappable defender of Trump. She was revered by the MAGA movement for her sharp critiques of the legacy media and criticized by the left for her unwavering support of Trump's positions.

Her abrupt decision to resign, announced earlier this month, reportedly caught the administration off guard. No successor has been named, and it is widely acknowledged that finding someone to match her combativeness and performative poise will be challenging for Trump.

Meanwhile, other White House activities continued at a rapid pace. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick blamed Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney for the breakdown of a trade deal. President Trump also signed an executive order renaming Lake Ontario to Lake America, a move that, unlike a similar renaming of the Gulf of Mexico earlier in his term, generated less significant public reaction. Trump was also preparing to travel to Texas for a fundraiser, where he planned to campaign for Republican Senate candidate Ken Paxton against progressive pastor James Talarico, whom Trump referred to as "James Tala-freako."

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Because he is a little freaky and he’s not a man who represents the values of Texas.