**Karoline Leavitt is preparing to step down as White House press secretary at the end of August, but she is not stepping away from President Donald Trump’s political orbit.**
The outgoing press secretary announced Friday evening that she will join MAGA Inc., the Trump-aligned super PAC expected to play a major role in the November midterm elections. Speaking with reporters outside Air Force One, Leavitt confirmed the move and assured the press that her departure from the White House would not mean disappearing from public view.
“You guys will still see me all the time,” she said.
Her precise title at MAGA Inc. has not been announced. The organization is familiar ground for Leavitt, who previously served as a spokesperson there before joining Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign and later becoming the public face of his second administration. MAGA Inc. has reportedly raised more than $350 million ahead of the midterms, positioning it as a significant financial force in races that will determine control of Congress.
Leavitt has said her decision to leave the White House was driven by a desire to spend more time with her growing family. She and her husband, Nicholas Riccio, have two young children, including a daughter born in May. She returned from maternity leave in mid-July before ultimately deciding to permanently leave the demanding daily role of press secretary.
Friday’s flight aboard Air Force One to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, marked her final official outing in the position. The president was scheduled to campaign there for Sen. Darline Graham, who is seeking a full term in the seat previously held by her late brother, Lindsey Graham.
Trump has made clear that Leavitt’s exit from the briefing room will not end their working relationship. He described her as someone who would continue serving as one of his “top advisers” while becoming an “influential voice within the Republican Party.” Leavitt has similarly indicated that her political efforts against Democrats will continue after she leaves the administration.
Attention has already turned to who will succeed her. The White House has not named a replacement. Trump suggested Friday that interest in the high-profile job is strong. “I will tell you this, and Karoline will tell you this,” he told reporters. “I have never seen so many job applications in my life.”
Names reportedly under consideration include CNN conservative commentator Scott Jennings and Katie Miller, wife of White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller. Other candidates have also been floated as the president weighs a permanent successor or an alternative communications structure.
Leavitt made history when she assumed the role of White House press secretary at age 27, becoming the youngest person ever to hold the position. She quickly established herself as one of the administration’s most visible figures through frequent, often contentious exchanges with reporters and a consistently aggressive defense of Trump’s agenda.
Her departure marks a notable shift for the White House communications operation. Unlike many high-profile exits, however, it does not signal a break with Trump or the broader movement that elevated her. Instead, Leavitt is transitioning from the daily demands of the briefing room into a well-funded organization positioned to shape Republican efforts through the midterms and beyond.
