Karoline Leavitt Says Goodbye to the Press

Karoline Leavitt wrapped up her run as White House press secretary on Thursday with an informal gaggle outside the West Wing, expected to be her last one—and a surprisingly warm sign-off to the press corps. "I'll miss you guys," said Leavitt, 29, who was 27 when she became the youngest person to hold the job and has been both a combative public defender of President Trump and, by many accounts, an accessible behind-the-scenes contact for reporters, the Washington Post reports. "I know that's probably not something anyone would expect me to say, but obviously it's been great working with all of you," she said.

Leavitt is leaving to focus on her young family after a two-month maternity leave this spring following the birth of her second child. "Every day as a working mother is a challenge," she told NewsNation, describing trade-offs made to be home for bedtime. She said her last day as White House press secretary was a "surreal feeling," adding that the job had been the "adventure of a lifetime." She won't be exiting Trump world, though: She'll shift to an outside adviser role through the MAGA Inc. super PAC, where she previously served as spokeswoman.

Trump hasn't chosen a successor, and officials say Cabinet members and other top aides will fill in at briefings for now, the Post reports. Leavitt said there's a list of contenders and offered one core piece of guidance: understand that Trump is "his own best spokesperson."

• During the final gaggle, Leavitt was asked about Trump's Wednesday Truth Social repost of MAGA influencer Matt Van Swol, Mediaite reports. "Yesterday, the president, he amplified a post in social media that said, 'I don't think the GOP currently grasp how badly they are 'effing up' right now," the reporter said, asking if Trump is "washing his hands of Republicans losing control in November?" Leavitt replied that Trump "is wholeheartedly committed to helping Republicans across the board retain the majority," adding that "there's no harder worker or greater fighter in politics than him."