Karoline Leavitt’s departure from the White House may have appeared sudden, but insiders now claim the press secretary had been quietly battling exhaustion for months—and realized almost immediately after returning from maternity leave that she wanted out.
According to a new report from the Daily Mail, Leavitt began searching for a graceful exit shortly after returning to work in July following the birth of her daughter.
“She was just trying to figure out how to politely step down with his blessing,” an anonymous source told the outlet.
Follow @allchronologyDonald Trump announced Wednesday that Leavitt would leave her position at the end of August. He publicly praised her as one of his most trusted aides and said she would remain politically active as an outside adviser.
Behind that friendly announcement, however, insiders described a press secretary who had reached her breaking point.
“First week back she realized she wasn’t feeling it anymore,” one source said.
Leavitt reportedly struggled with extreme burnout after attempting to balance the constant demands of representing Trump with caring for a newborn and another young child.
The job had already consumed her schedule before she gave birth. Returning from maternity leave reportedly made its incompatibility with family life impossible to ignore.
“It was a very stressful job to do with her children,” a source said. “She never got any sleep, and she didn’t want her performance to slip either, so she decided to stay as long as she could and do the job well.”
Follow @allchronologyCNN White House correspondent Alayna Treene previously reported that Trump continued calling Leavitt while she was on maternity leave and sometimes asked when she planned to return.
That account offered a revealing glimpse into the demands surrounding the role. Even childbirth and maternity leave apparently failed to create a complete separation between Leavitt and the president she represented.
Trump reportedly did not want her to go.
“He actually trusts her and doesn’t like having to deal with new people in his circle,” one insider told the Daily Mail.
Leavitt occupied a position extending far beyond delivering televised briefings. She reportedly belonged to Trump’s small circle of trusted advisers, participated in sensitive meetings and possessed direct knowledge of high-level decisions inside the West Wing.
Replacing her consequently requires more than finding someone comfortable behind a podium.
Her successor must earn Trump’s personal confidence, defend his most controversial statements, coordinate administration messaging and endure a relentless news cycle—all while preparing for midterm elections only months away.
Follow @allchronologyNo replacement had been selected at the time of the report.
“They are still weighing their options,” an insider said.
Leavitt publicly framed her departure as a choice between two responsibilities that could no longer coexist.
“The truth is since returning to the White House after the birth of my daughter, I have felt in my heart that I cannot be the best mom my two young children deserve while devoting the constant time, energy, and attention required of the White House press secretary,” she wrote.
Her announcement reportedly showed signs that it may have been polished with artificial-intelligence assistance, but that does not establish that her underlying explanation was insincere.
The insider accounts largely support her central claim: She was exhausted, sleep-deprived and worried that either her work or her children would receive less than they deserved.
“No doubt one of the hardest decisions of her life,” a source close to Leavitt said.
Another insider offered a simpler explanation for why the position eventually became intolerable.
Follow @allchronology“It’s a thankless job,” the source said.
White House press secretaries routinely face intense scrutiny from both the administration they represent and the reporters they confront. They must explain decisions they may not have made, defend statements they may not have heard in advance and absorb criticism generated by the president and other officials.
Under Trump, those pressures can become even more severe.
His unpredictable public remarks frequently force aides to clarify or reinterpret the president’s words. He demands loyalty, closely watches television coverage and reportedly dislikes allowing new people into his inner circle.
Leavitt’s combative approach made her particularly effective by Trump’s standards. She attacked reporters, forcefully rejected criticism and rarely conceded that the administration had made a mistake.
But the qualities that helped her survive publicly did not make the private demands any lighter.
The reported burnout also challenges speculation that Leavitt was fleeing because she feared Republican midterm losses or possible Democratic investigations.
Those theories cannot be definitively excluded based on anonymous accounts. But the emerging picture points toward a much more personal crisis: A mother who returned from childbirth, immediately rediscovered the punishing reality of her job and concluded she could no longer live that way.
Follow @allchronologyHer decision may still create a political emergency for Trump.
The administration is losing its most recognizable messenger only three months before voters decide control of Congress. Any successor will enter the briefing room without Leavitt’s years of experience, established relationship with Trump or familiarity with the machinery of his White House.
Leavitt will remain in Trump’s orbit, but from a position offering greater control over her time and fewer daily obligations.
For months, she reportedly tried to endure the exhaustion and find a way to leave without alienating a president who wanted her to remain.
In the end, Trump could offer praise, continued influence and a place within his political movement.
What he could not offer was sleep, time with her children—or a reason compelling enough to remain in a job that had already drained her dry.
