Karoline Leavitt, the 28-year-old White House press secretary, announced last week that she would step down at the end of the month to spend more time with her young family. The news caught many in Washington off guard, and it appears to have surprised the president as well.
In a Monday interview with Fox News correspondent Alexis McAdams, Trump acknowledged her departure with a joke while insisting that she could not easily be replaced.
When McAdams asked whether Leavitt was replaceable, Trump said: “No, she’s not. She really isn’t. She’s standing right over there and she’s done a great job.”
He then added, half in jest: “She actually likes her children more than she likes Trump. I’m very concerned about that.”
McAdams pressed further, noting how much Leavitt had to balance and asking whether Trump had someone in mind to take over at the podium. Trump replied with a laugh: “You. How about you? She could do the job. I think so.”
Turning to Leavitt, he continued: “What do you think, Karoline? I like it. I’ve always liked you. That’s why I’m doing this. I don’t do this that often. I get off, I make a speech, here I come, often we see Alexis. You have done a great job.”
Although the comments were lighthearted, they may offer a hint about who is on Trump’s shortlist to replace her.
Trump spent last weekend at his Bedminster, New Jersey, estate, where he hosted several members of his inner circle. Among them was a figure whose name has recently come up in speculation about the next White House press secretary.
A video shared on social media showed the president at a gathering with dozens of guests, including former U.S. Attorney for New Jersey and longtime personal lawyer Alina Habba.
Leavitt Cites Family Demands
Leavitt said that balancing the demands of the job with raising two young children had become increasingly difficult after she returned to work following the birth of her second child, Viviana, on May 1.
Efforts to find her replacement are expected to pick up pace as Republicans gear up for the November midterm elections, which will determine control of both chambers of Congress.
Habba’s Legal and Government Career
Habba, 42, was a member of Trump’s legal team during the New York civil fraud case brought by state Attorney General Letitia James. The lawsuit accused Trump and his company of misrepresenting the value of their financial assets.
In 2024, Judge Arthur Engoron ruled against Trump and ordered him to pay a judgment of more than $460 million. In August 2025, a New York appellate court overturned that ruling, a significant legal win for the president.
A New Jersey native, Habba launched her law firm, Habba, Madaio and Associates LLP, in 2020, with offices in Bedminster, New Jersey, and New York.
In March 2025, she was named acting U.S. attorney for New Jersey, a role that put her in charge of federal criminal and civil prosecutions across the state. Her tenure ended in December 2025, after an appeals court ruled that her appointment did not meet federal requirements, forcing her to step down.
Responding in a statement shared on X, she wrote: “But do not mistake compliance for surrender. This decision will not weaken the Justice Department, and it will not weaken me.”
