WASHINGTON, Aug. 13 (DC Times Online) — President Donald Trump has not announced who will replace White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, who is expected to leave the post at the end of August 2026, according to reports citing White House and administration sources.
Leavitt’s departure creates a short transition period for the White House communications operation. Trump announced that she would leave the job, and Leavitt has said the reason is her desire to spend more time with her family and young children.
The White House has not publicly identified a successor or described a formal selection process. Reports also do not establish whether any of the people being discussed have been interviewed, contacted or offered the job.
Who is being discussed?
Alina Habba and Matthew Boyle have been described in reports as early or leading possibilities. Those reports rely on unnamed sources within or close to the administration.
Habba is a lawyer and has held government roles during Trump’s administration, according to the reports. Boyle is identified as the Washington bureau chief of Breitbart.
Steven Cheung, the White House communications director, is also among the names being discussed. Taylor Budowich, a former White House deputy chief of staff for communications and personnel, has likewise been mentioned. Reports say Budowich left the administration for the private sector in September 2025.
Other names in circulation include Katie Miller, Anna Kelly, Stephen Miller, Scott Jennings, Monica Crowley, Kari Lake, Jason Miller, Taylor Rogers, Liz Huston, Margo Martin, Roma Daravi, Lara Trump, Natalie Harp and Sage Steele.
The reports describe Miller as a former press secretary to Vice President Mike Pence and a former Department of Government Efficiency aide. Kelly is identified as the White House principal deputy press secretary. The supplied reports do not provide official biographies or personnel records confirming every title and past position.
Why do reports disagree about the front-runner?
There is no confirmed front-runner because Trump has not made a selection. Different reports have highlighted different candidates based on unnamed sources.
Coverage based on New York Post reporting emphasized Habba and Boyle. The Daily Beast reported that political commentator Scott Jennings was considered a current front-runner, citing people familiar with the situation. That claim also rests on unnamed sources rather than a public White House announcement.
A separate measure came from Kalshi, a prediction market. The Daily Beast reported that the market listed Daravi with a 24% chance of being chosen, followed by Lara Trump and Natalie Harp at 23% each, and Habba and Kelly at 22% each.
Those figures represent market expectations, not an official vote, nomination or decision by the administration. Prediction markets can reflect public or trader sentiment, but they do not determine who receives a government appointment.
What does the press secretary do?
The White House press secretary is the administration’s main public spokesperson and generally briefs reporters on presidential policies, decisions and daily events. The position also serves as a central link between the White House and the news media.
The replacement will therefore take over as the administration manages its public explanation of executive actions and responds to questions from reporters in Washington, D.C. The timing leaves the White House with only weeks to settle on a successor before Leavitt’s reported departure.
For now, the names being circulated should be treated as possibilities, not nominees. The only confirmed change is that Leavitt is expected to leave the press secretary’s post at the end of August.
