# Leavitt Exits as Trump's Approval Hits Record Low Before Midterms

- URL: https://twotakes.us/stories/leavitt-exits-as-trumps-approval-hits-record-low-before-midterms
- Published: 2026-08-14T01:09:24.655092+00:00
- Topics: white-house, press-secretary, trump-administration, karoline-leavitt, midterm-elections

## What the left says
- Leavitt's exit lands as Trump's net approval hits -27, a record low, raising questions about who will manage White House messaging during a critical stretch before the midterms.
- Her tenure is remembered for spreading falsehoods from the podium, including a debunked claim about condoms in Gaza and defending administration talking points that factcheckers rated false.
- She used her position to attack journalists, disparage her own generation, and label Democrats as extremists, reflecting a combative approach to the press that drew sustained criticism.
- Her departure reflects a broader pattern of women leaving senior roles in the Trump administration.

## What the right says
- Leavitt is stepping down for deeply personal reasons, explaining she cannot be the mother her two young children deserve while carrying the demands of the press secretary role.
- Trump praises her as one of the best press secretaries in history and says she will remain a trusted outside adviser and influential Republican voice heading into the midterms.
- She was the first pregnant press secretary in U.S. history and the youngest ever to hold the post, navigating major crises like Signalgate, the Epstein files release, and the Iran war.
- Her exit statement emphasizes continued commitment to fighting for the administration and the conservative movement rather than stepping away from politics altogether.

## Common ground
- Karoline Leavitt will leave her role as White House press secretary at the end of August 2026.
- She recently returned from maternity leave after giving birth to her second child, a daughter named Viviana, in May.
- Trump has not named a replacement for the press secretary role.
- Trump says Leavitt will continue as an outside adviser and influential voice in the Republican Party ahead of the midterms.

## Sources
- [ABC News](https://abcnews.com/Politics/trump-announces-white-house-press-secretary-karoline-leavitt/story?id=135590424) (Lean Left)
- [AllSides](https://www.allsides.com/news/2026-08-12-0700/politics-leavitt-leave-white-house-press-secretary-role-trump-says) (Center)
- [AllSides](https://www.allsides.com/news/2026-08-12-0700/politics-karoline-leavitt-leaving-white-house-press-secretary-job-shortly-after-returning-maternity-leave) (Center)
- [AllSides](https://www.allsides.com/news/2026-08-12-0700/politics-white-house-press-secretary-karoline-leavitt-step-down) (Center)
- [Axios](https://www.axios.com/2026/08/12/trump-karoline-leavitt-white-house-press) (Lean Left)
- [BBC News](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/videos/c86nd59z7vqo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss) (Center)
- [Blaze Media](https://www.theblaze.com/news/press-secretary-leavitt-resigning-trump) (Right)
- [Breitbart](https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2026/08/12/karoline-leavitt-leaving-white-house-no-replacement-named/) (Right)
- [Daily Caller](https://dailycaller.com/2026/08/12/white-house-press-secretary-karoline-leavitt-leave-role-at-end-of-month) (Right)
- [Daily Wire](https://www.dailywire.com/news/karoline-leavitt-to-depart-the-white-house-by-end-of-the-month) (Right)
- [Fox News](https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-says-karoline-leavitt-leave-white-house-press-secretary-role-become-outside-advisor) (Right)
- [HuffPost](https://www.huffpost.com/entry/white-house-press-secretary-karoline-leavitt-steps-down_n_6a7ccca1e4b079a0b2ec255f) (Left)
- [NBC News](https://www.today.com/video/trump-announces-press-secretary-karoline-leavitt-will-step-down-268235845977) (Lean Left)
- [Newsmax](https://www.newsmax.com/politics/karoline-leavitt-press-secretary-donald-trump/2026/08/12/id/1265901) (Right)
- [PBS NewsHour](https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/karoline-leavitt-is-leaving-her-role-as-trumps-white-house-press-secretary) (Lean Left)
- [PJ Media](https://pjmedia.com/sarah-anderson/2026/08/12/karoline-leavitt-is-resigning-as-white-house-press-secretary-n4956080) (Unknown)
- [Salon](https://www.salon.com/2026/08/12/karoline-leavitt-is-leaving-her-post-as-white-house-press-secretary/) (Left)
- [The Daily Signal](https://www.dailysignal.com/2026/08/12/trump-confirms-karoline-leavitts-white-house-departure/) (Right)
- [The Guardian US](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/live/2026/aug/13/karoline-leavitt-white-house-primaries-trump-politics-latest-updates) (Left)
- [The Guardian US](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/aug/13/first-thing-leavitt-departs-white-house-press-secretary-trump-ratings-historic-low) (Left)
- [The Guardian US](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/aug/12/karoline-leavitt-resigns) (Left)
- [The Hill](https://thehill.com/homenews/6025953-leavitt-leave-white-house-press-secretary-role-trump/) (Center)
- [The Hill](https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/6024357-live-updates-trump-iran-primary-elections/) (Center)
- [Washington Post](https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2026/08/12/white-house-press-secretary-karoline-leavitt-leave-administration/) (Lean Left)
- [Washington Times](https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/aug/12/karoline-leavitt-leaving-white-house-trump-says/) (Right)

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