Trump hasn't decided on Leavitt's replacement as press secretary, sources say

By Weijia Jiang Senior White House Correspondent Weijia Jiang is the senior White House correspondent for CBS News based in Washington, D.C. Jiang has covered the White House beat since 2018, including the transitions between presidential administrations. In 2023, Jiang won an Emmy Award for her contributions to "CBS Mornings." Read Full Bio Updated on: August 26, 2026 / 9:54 AM EDT / CBS News Add CBS News on Google Washington — President Trump hasn't settled on a replacement for White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, whose last day is Friday, according to administration officials close to the situation. Responsibilities for holding White House press briefings will rotate for now, the sources said, with top administration officials heading to the podium, not members of the White House press and communications staff. White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles has been looking at potential replacements for Leavitt, but the process is ongoing with no front-runners yet, two of the sources said. Republican commentator Scott Jennings' name had been floated, but Jennings was unlikely to be the final choice. Leavitt's entire team will stay on and will report to Communications Director Steven Cheung. Her executive assistant, Kieghan Nangle, is moving over to become a press wrangler. As Leavitt said last week, she will return to MAGA Inc., Mr. Trump's super PAC, and continue to be a top outside adviser to the president. She has told people she will be involved in more activities that haven't yet been announced.Mr. Trump announced Leavitt's departure from the White House two weeks ago, writing in a post on Truth Social that she would remain "an influential voice within the Republican Party, as we work to defy History, and conclusively win the Midterm Elections."