美国总统特朗普于周三宣布，白宫新闻秘书卡罗琳・莱维特将于 8 月底卸任。
莱维特是特朗普在白宫最核心的亲信之一，她的突然离职意味着白宫新闻宣传团队将迎来重大人事变动，距离中期选举仅剩不到三个月时间。
特朗普在社交平台发文，称莱维特是 “我最信任的助手之一”：“卡罗琳将于本月底卸任，以便多陪伴她年幼的孩子们与家人。我完全理解、也尊重她的这个决定！”
特朗普还表示，莱维特卸任后将继续担任他的外部顾问。
莱维特选择离职的当下，特朗普正面临执政困境：美伊冲突持续、汽油价格高企，总统支持率低迷，多数美国民众认为他没有优先解决国内民生核心难题。
现年 28 岁的莱维特创下历史纪录，是美国有史以来最年轻的白宫新闻秘书，也是首位在任职高压期怀孕的该岗位女性。上个月，她休完短暂产假重返新闻发布台。
特朗普首个总统任期内，莱维特曾担任初级新闻助理；到特朗普第二任期，她成长为最高效、最忠心的发言人。她塑造出强硬护主的个人形象，面对记者尖锐提问时寸步不让，同时更愿意对接立场友好的媒体。
无论是新闻发布会现场，还是社交网络上，她都展现出兼顾事业与家庭的职场母亲形象：带着幼子尼科登上空军一号、出入椭圆办公室；和丈夫一同出席白宫复活节滚彩蛋、万圣节活动；亲手烤苹果派，分享怀抱刚出生女儿薇薇安的温馨瞬间。
但这些温馨画面，掩盖了这份工作巨大的压力。
周三莱维特在社交平台发文，称自己的离职决定喜忧参半：“实话实说，生完女儿重返白宫后，我内心十分清楚，白宫新闻秘书这份工作需要投入源源不断的时间、精力与专注力，我无法同时做两个孩子心中最称职的母亲。”
特朗普向来自认是自己最好的发言人，对替他发声的下属要求严苛。知情人士透露，5 月 1 日莱维特生下女儿后休了约一个月产假，期间总统多次致电，时不时询问她何时返岗。
2024 年 7 月她生下第一个孩子时，仅仅休了四天假。就在宾夕法尼亚州巴特勒市发生针对特朗普的刺杀未遂事件次日，她立刻重返竞选宣传一线。
后来她做客梅根・凯利访谈节目时坦言：“那次意外让我被迫提前复工，比我预想、期盼的时间早了太多。”
上个月重回白宫新闻发布台时，莱维特坦言，平衡高压工作与抚养两个年幼孩子十分艰难，但她补充道：“我不只把这份工作当成一份职业，这是公共服务。”
特朗普第一任期结束后，莱维特曾在家乡新罕布什尔州参选联邦众议员，最终大选落败。2024 年总统大选期间，她迅速获得特朗普信任，跻身核心幕僚圈。
如今 2026 年中期选举选战升温，卸任后的莱维特将成为特朗普重要的外部宣传干将。
她周三写道：“特朗普总统邀请我继续担任他的高级外部顾问，我也会始终公开为‘让美国再次伟大’运动、共和党发声奔走。”
新闻发言人岗位出现空缺
此前莱维特休产假期间，白宫新闻发布会大幅减少。白宫安排副总统万斯、国务卿马尔科・卢比奥等高层代为召开发布会，但效果参差不齐。
副总统万斯周三在 X 平台发文评价莱维特：“她承担着本届政府最难的工作之一。我深知年轻父母要兼顾这份高强度公职，有多辛苦，但这份工作也充满价值。”
消息人士透露，截至周三下午，白宫内部尚未确定莱维特的继任人选。
想要找到接替她的人选并不容易 —— 莱维特是特朗普政府曝光度最高的女性官员之一。
莱维特已任职 18 个月，是特朗普两届任期内任职时长第二久的新闻秘书： 萨拉・哈克比・桑德斯（现任阿肯色州州长）：第一任期任职近 2 年 卡罗琳・莱维特：18 个月 凯莉・麦克纳尼：8 个月 斯蒂芬妮・格里沙姆：10 个月 肖恩・斯派塞：6 个月
特朗普第二任期的白宫通讯团队人事变动频繁：前通讯副主管泰勒・布多维奇任职 8 个月后离职；莱维特的两名副手哈里森・菲尔兹、阿比盖尔・杰克逊也先后离任。
白宫通讯主任史蒂文・张周三发文高度评价莱维特的履职生涯，称赞她是 “最靠谱的伙伴”。
“今天固然令人不舍，但我们由衷为她和她的家人感到高兴。这不是永别，我们后会有期。” 史蒂文・张在 X 平台写道。
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt leaving role， Trump announces
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt will leave her role at the end of August， President Donald Trump announced Wednesday．
The imminent departure of one of the president’s closest allies inside the White House marks a major shakeup for the president’s press operation， with less than three months until the midterm elections．
Describing her as “one of my most trusted aides，” Trump said in a social mediapostthat Leavitt “will be departing her role at the end of the month so she can spend more time with her beautiful young children and family， a decision I totally understand and respect！”
Leavitt， he added， will continue to serve as an outside adviser．
The departure comes at a challenging moment for Trump， who’s facinglow approval ratingsamid the ongoing war with Iran and high gas prices， with most Americans saying he hasn’t paid enough attention to the country’s most important problems．
Leavitt， 28， made history as the youngest－ever White House press secretary， and also the first woman to be pregnant in the high－pressure job． Shereturned to the briefing room podiumlast month after a short maternity leave．
Leavitt served in a junior role during Trump’s first term， but she has emerged as one of his most effective and loyal spokespeople during his second． She has cultivated a personal brand as a pit bull for the president and his policies， tussling with reporters who ask tough questions and welcoming friendlier outlets．
Behind the microphone and on social media， she has also presented herself as a devoted wife and working mom， toting toddler son Niko to Air Force One and the Oval Office， posing for photos with her husband at the White House Easter Egg Roll and Halloween celebrations， baking an apple pie from scratch and basking in newborn snuggles with daughter Viviana．
As is often true of social media， the images belie her demanding job．
“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，” shewrote in a social media postWednesday， calling her decision “bittersweet．”
The president， who believes he is his own best spokesperson， has been demanding of those who speak on his behalf． Followingthe birth of her daughteron May 1， Leavitt took roughly a month of leave away from the White House， during which the president often called her and， at times， asked when she planned to return， a person familiar with the discussions said．
When Leavitt’s first child was born in July 2024， she took just a four－day leave， returning to the campaign trail the day after then－candidate Trump was the victim of an assassination attempt in Butler， Pennsylvania．
“It kind of threw me right back to work much sooner than I would have probably expected or hoped，” she laterreflectedin an interview with Megyn Kelly．
When Leavitt returned to the White House podium last month， she acknowledged balancing the demanding job with raising two young children was “challenging．” But， she added at the time， “I view this as more than job — I view this as public service．”
Leavitt ran for Congress in her home state of New Hampshire after Trump’s first term， losing in the general election． Then， during his 2024 presidential campaign， she became a trusted figure who quickly catapulted into his inner circle．
Now， as the 2026 midterms heat up， Leavitt could emerge as an important outside messenger．
“President Trump has asked me to continue serving as a top advisor to him on the outside， and I will always remain a vocal advocate for MAGA and the Republican Party，” she wrote Wednesday．
A vacancy at the podium
During Leavitt’s recent maternity leave， White House press briefings became significantly less frequent． The press shop stacked the lectern with top officials likeVice President JD Vanceand Secretary of State Marco Rubio — guest appearances that came with varying levels of success．
Vance said Wednesday that Leavitt “has one of the hardest jobs in the Administration，” adding inhis X post， “and I know how difficult yet rewarding a constant job like this can be for a young parent．”
As of Wednesday afternoon， it was not immediately clear to some White House staff who would replace Leavitt， a source said．
And finding a replacement for one of the most visible women in Trump’s administration could be challenging．
Leavitt has served in the role for 18 months， making her the second－longest－serving press secretary under Trump． Sarah Huckabee Sanders， now governor of Arkansas， held the role for just under two years during Trump’s first term． Kayleigh McEnany held the role for eight months， Stephanie Grisham for 10 months and Sean Spicer for six months．
There has been some turnover in the White House press office during Trump’s second term． Taylor Budowich， who was deputy chief of staff for communications， departed after eight months． Two of Leavitt’s deputies， Harrison Fields and Abigail Jackson， have also left．
White House communications director Steven Cheung praised Leavitt’s tenure， saying on Wednesday that she has “been the best teammate．”
“Although this is a sad day， we’re so happy for her and her family． It’s never ‘goodbye．’ It’s always ‘see you down the road，’” hewrote on X．
