Leavitt is leaving the White House. Don’t expect her to go far

Karoline Leavitt wrapped up her final day as White House press secretary on Thursday, but she is not expected to veer far from President Trump’s orbit as Republicans seek to defend their majorities on Capitol Hill.

Trump and Leavitt announced earlier this month she would depart the White House to spend more time with her young children, but both said she would serve as an outside adviser to the president. The former press secretary also confirmed last week that she would work at Trump’s super PAC MAGA Inc.

While Leavitt will no longer be front and center at the White House podium, she will likely continue to play a significant role having Trump’s ear and crafting his messaging on the campaign trail.

“While she’s a warrior, she understands the base and how to break through the legacy news media cycle,” Republican strategist Ford O’Connell said.

“Ahead of the most consequential midterms for Republicans, a warrior with that kind of skillset is invaluable to the president and to the Republican Party,” he continued.

The admiration for Leavitt among Trump’s base is evident at the president’s campaign events.

Leavitt was met with a standing ovation last week in Myrtle Beach, S.C., during Trump’s rally for Sen. Darline Graham (R-S.C.).

“She’s fantastic,” Trump told his supporters.

The trip marked Leavitt’s last trip with Trump as press secretary. However, Leavitt said on Air Force One that she will travel with Trump to the Republican National Committee’s midterm convention in Dallas next month.

“You guys will see me all the time,” Leavitt told reporters.

Leavitt brings a unique set of skills to the table as an outside adviser. In addition to her experience as White House press secretary, Leavitt served as Trump’s campaign spokesperson in 2024 and was a spokesperson for MAGA Inc. before that.

The former press secretary also has experience as a candidate herself, having run for New Hampshire’s 1st Congressional District against incumbent Rep. Chris Pappas (D-N.H.) in 2022.

“She has a rare combination of proximity to the president, the White House and the campaign trail,” O’Connell said.

Leavitt’s departure comes as Republicans are facing a daunting national environment in the final months of the campaign as Trump’s approval sinks and Democrats hold a lead on the generic ballot.

Trump’s approval rating hit a record low of 33 percent, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll released earlier this week. Meanwhile, a poll released by Emerson College and The Hill last week showed Democrats leading Republicans by 8 points on a generic ballot.

“The House is much harder to hold, but the Senate is an area with particularly her knowledge of the base, it could be very valuable,” O’Connell said.

Leavitt addressed concerns over the headwinds Republicans face going into November during some of her final public remarks as press secretary on Thursday, vowing that Trump will continue to “push his message until the very last day” of the campaign.

“Democrats in this town want to talk a lot about affordability, but they voted against the largest tax cuts in American history,” Leavitt said. “They voted against putting more money in Americans’ pockets.”

Trump’s campaign travel and MAGA Inc.’s public activity are already ramping up ahead of the midterms.

The super PAC announced this week that Vice President Vance will travel to battleground Michigan to boost Republican candidates in the state next week.

“MAGA Inc. will be hosting events throughout the nation to ensure that Republicans retain control of Congress in order to finish cleaning up the mess the Biden-Harris-Pelosi-Schumer Democrats left,” MAGA Inc. spokesperson Alex Pfeiffer said in a Thursday statement.

“We’re not going back to their record inflation, open borders, and surging crime,” Pfeiffer said.

And Trump headlined a Republican National Committee fundraiser in battleground Texas on Thursday evening.

There are a number of avenues Leavitt, who just turned 29, can take in her career after the White House.

Two of her recent predecessors: Kayleigh McEnany, who served as press secretary for Trump in his first term, and Jen Psaki, former President Biden’s first press secretary, have both taken on television hosting gigs, while Sarah Huckabee Sanders, another former Trump press secretary, went on to successfully run for Arkansas governor.

Experts say they would not be surprised if Leavitt considered another run for public office down the line.

“As a young woman who has clearly had aspirations for holding office and we know has the resources to run for office, and obviously has tremendous connections for resources to run for office. I mean, why wouldn’t she think about that down the road?” said Debbie Walsh, the director for the Center for American Women in Politics at Rutgers University.