--- title: Who Might Replace Karoline Leavitt as Press Secretary? description: The White House has not yet offered information about who will succeed Leavitt. But these names are being floated as potential contenders. canonical: https://time.com/article/2026/08/13/karoline-leavitt-press-secretary-replacement-potential-candidates/ author: Connor Greene article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2026-08-13T20:02:58.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-14T16:13:39.250Z article:section: Politics og:title: Who Might Replace Karoline Leavitt as Press Secretary? og:description: The White House has not yet offered information about who will replace Leavitt. But these names are being floated as potential contenders. og:url: https://time.com/article/2026/08/13/karoline-leavitt-press-secretary-replacement-potential-candidates/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt6485f212bde1c42a/6a7e198e56fcaa3a53432eb4/GettyImages-2249391799.jpg?branch=production&width=1024&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1024 og:image:height: 576 og:image:alt: GettyImages-2249391799.jpg og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Who Might Replace Karoline Leavitt as Press Secretary? twitter:description: The White House has not yet offered information about who will replace Leavitt. But these names are being floated as potential contenders. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt6485f212bde1c42a/6a7e198e56fcaa3a53432eb4/GettyImages-2249391799.jpg?branch=production&width=1024&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Who Might Replace Karoline Leavitt as Press Secretary? > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: August 2026. ## TIME D.C. Brief: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition D.C. Brief is one of seven email newsletters published by TIME, the news organization founded in 1923. Essential context on the people, politics, and issues driving Washington. D.C. Brief goes beyond the Washington headlines to explain the politics, personalities and power dynamics shaping what happens next. 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It is written by a TIME senior correspondent who covers the capital full time. #### Who writes TIME's D.C. Brief? Philip Elliott, a senior correspondent at TIME, writes D.C. Brief. #### Is D.C. Brief free? Yes. D.C. Brief is free at time.com/newsletters. ## Video: Karoline Leavitt’s Most Memorable Moments as White House Press Secretary [Watch (HLS stream): Karoline Leavitt’s Most Memorable Moments as White House Press Secretary](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/6Rmp17nZ.m3u8) (1:35)  _Published 2026-08-14. The White House has not yet offered information about who will succeed Leavitt. But these names are being floated as potential contenders._ by [Connor Greene](https://time.com/author/connor-greene/) ## Connor Greene Editorial Fellow Aug 13, 2026 8:02 PM UTC by [Connor Greene](https://time.com/author/connor-greene/) ## Connor Greene Editorial Fellow Aug 13, 2026 8:02 PM UTC With White House Press Secretary [Karoline Leavitt](https://time.com/article/2026/08/12/karoline-leavitt-white-house-press-secretary-memorable-moments/) set to [step down](https://time.com/article/2026/08/12/Karoline-Leavitt-to-step-down-white-house-press-secretary-Donald-Trump/) from her role at the end of the month, the question of who will replace her is looming over Washington. Leavitt, 28, assumed the Press Secretary role at the beginning of President Donald Trump’s second term last January, becoming the youngest person to ever hold the position. President Donald Trump [announced](https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/117084211457388624) Leavitt’s departure in a post on Truth Social on Wednesday, saying that she would leave her role to focus on her family but that she would remain one of his “top advisors, and an influential voice within the Republican Party.” Leavitt, who gave birth to her second child in May, thanked Trump in a lengthy [post](https://x.com/karolineleavitt/status/2087625708554100999) on X, in which she described her decision to focus on her two young children “bittersweet.” “I will always remain a vocal advocate for MAGA and the Republican Party,” Leavitt wrote. **Read More:** [_Karoline Leavitt’s Most Memorable Moments as White House Press Secretary_](https://time.com/article/2026/08/12/karoline-leavitt-white-house-press-secretary-memorable-moments/) The White House has so far offered no further information on who might succeed Leavitt as Press Secretary. It redirected TIME to Leavitt and Trump’s posts when asked about candidates for the position, and has told multiple outlets that no decision has been made. But some names are already being floated as possible contenders to take Leavitt’s place behind the White House podium. Here’s what you should know about those potential replacements. ## Alina Habba Trump’s former personal lawyer Alina Habba is reportedly being considered to take over as Press Secretary when Leavitt departs. [The New York _Post_](https://nypost.com/2026/08/12/us-news/karoline-leavitts-possible-successors-emerge-after-wh-press-secretarys-surprise-departure/) reported on Wednesday, citing sources within and close to the Administration, that Habba was an early frontrunner for the role. Habba joined Trump’s legal team in 2021 and became a prominent public voice in his defense during the 2024 hush-money trial that resulted in his conviction on 34 felony counts. Trump said after his reelection that he was naming Habba as his presidential counsellor, and called her “a "tireless advocate for justice" and "unwavering in her loyalty.” Following his return to the White House, Trump last year selected Habba for another position: the interim U.S. attorney in New Jersey. He later nominated her to serve in that role on a permanent basis, but her confirmation faced headwinds in the Senate and a panel of judges declined to extend her interim tenure, seeking to replace her. Trump and his Justice Department battled to keep her there, though, and he withdrew her nomination to clear the way for her to take on the position in an acting capacity. Habba ultimately stepped down from the U.S. attorney post in December, after a federal court found that she had been unlawfully appointed. She thereafter moved into a [role](https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/department-justice-leadership-announces-new-personnel-appointments-and-authorizations) as Senior Advisor to then-Attorney General Pam Bondi. ## Matthew Boyle Matthew Boyle, the Washington bureau chief of conservative news outlet Breitbart, is also reported to be in the running. Sources in and close to the Administration told the _Post_ that Boyle, like Habba, is a frontrunner to replace Leavitt. Boyle has never previously worked for Trump in either a private capacity or as part of his Administrations. He has conducted a number of interviews with him, however, including one in the Oval Office [in June](https://rollcall.com/factbase/trump/transcript/donald-trump-interview-no-transcript-boyle-gilbertson-breitbart-june-30-2026/). ## Scott Jennings Scott Jennings, a Trump defender and MAGA political commentator who frequently spars with Democrats on CNN, is another name that is reportedly at the top of the list of potential contenders. Sources with knowledge of the situation told the [Daily Beast](https://www.thedailybeast.com/frontrunner-to-replace-karoline-leavitt-as-white-house-press-secretary-revealed/) that Jennings is the current frontrunner to succeed Leavitt. Jennings served as special assistant to the president under President George W. Bush and has worked on four presidential campaigns. He has also advised on campaigns for Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky and former Kentucky Gov. Ernie Fletcher. Trump has publicly praised Jennings, who once was a critic of the President. “I think he's terrific: Scott Jennings,” Trump said at a [rally](https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/remarks-warren-michigan) in Michigan last year. “He's defending me all the time on CNN.” ## Anna Kelly Anna Kelly, who serves as the White House deputy secretary under Leavitt, has been raised as a potential candidate for the role from within the current White House communications team. She previously worked as the national press secretary for the Republican National Committee, and for Republican Rep. Derrick Van Orden of Wisconsin. ## Tricia McLaughlin Another name believed to be in the mix is Tricia McLaughlin. McLaughlin became known as a fierce defender of Trump’s immigration policies as a former assistant secretary for public affairs at the Department of Homeland Security. She left her role in February. During Trump’s first term, McLaughlin also worked at the State and Treasury departments. She then became a communications chief for Gov. Mike DeWine’s 2022 reelection campaign and a senior communications advisor for Vivek Ramaswamy’s 2024 presidential campaign. ## Katie Miller Katie Miller, a conservative podcaster, former Trump staffer, and the wife of White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, has also been noted as a potential candidate for the Press Secretary role. Miller served as the communication director for the shuttered Department of Government Efficiency last year. Before that, she worked as an assistant press secretary at DHS during Trump’s first term. She left the position to serve as the communications director for former Republican Sen. Martha McSally of Arizona, before becoming former Vice President Mike Pence’s communication director. ## Steven Cheung White House Communications Director Steven Cheung may also be a contender to become the next Press Secretary. Cheung has worked alongside Trump in various capacities since his first Administration, during which he served as the White House assistant communications director. He was fired from the position in 2018 amid a staff shake-up, but went on to consult for Trump’s 2020 campaign. He also led communications for Trump’s super PAC, MAGA Inc., and was Trump’s director of communications on his 2024 presidential campaign. ## Transcript So if there were peaceful protests on Saturday for the military parade, President Trump would allow that. Of course, the president supports peaceful protests. What a stupid question. Have you ever paid a tariff? Because I have. They don't get charged on foreign companies. They get charged on the importers. And ultimately, when we have fair and balanced trade, which the American people have not seen in decades, as I said at the beginning, revenues will stay here, wages will go up and our country will be made wealthy again. And I think it's insulting that you are trying to test my knowledge of economics. I'm now regret giving a question to The Associated Press. Why was Renee good? Unfortunately, and tragically killed? Are you asking me my opinion? Because an ice age and acted recklessly and killed it unjustifiably. Oh, okay. So you're a biased reporter with a left wing opinion. What do you want me to do? Yeah, because you're a left wing hack. You're not a reporter. You're posing in this room as a journalist. And it's so clear by the premise of your question. And you and the people in the media who have such biases, but fake like you're a journalist. You shouldn't even be sitting in that seat. But was he aware of of his signature being used on every single pardon? That's a question you should ask the Biden White House. Any evidence on that that he wasn't aware of it. You're a reporter. You should find out. Sean, has there been any shift in how the white House is viewing secretary performance? No. Secretary Lutnick remains a very important member of President Trump's team, and the president fully supports the secretary. I will just point out that there are a lot of wins in the news this week that people in this room have not asked about, because you continue to ask questions about the same subject. So let me point them out for you. Thank you. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/article/2026/08/13/karoline-leavitt-press-secretary-replacement-potential-candidates/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/article/2026/08/13/karoline-leavitt-press-secretary-replacement-potential-candidates/"},"headline":"Who Might Replace Karoline Leavitt as Press Secretary?","datePublished":"2026-08-13T20:02:58.000Z","dateModified":"2026-08-14T16:13:39.250Z","description":"The White House has not yet offered information about who will succeed Leavitt. 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