It's pretty clear now — Karoline Leavitt quit because she was fed up with Trump's endless harassment

Karoline Leavitt is done. The White House press secretary is walking away at the end of the month, and after all is said and done, it’s pretty clear now that out Trump’s inability to leave her alone while she was trying to recover from childbirth played a big part in it.

I wanted to share this story with you because there are now some pretty reliable inside sources telling the story of what happened behind the scenes leading up to Leavitt’s resignation. It’s also another good window into the chaos and drama that envelops the Trump presidency behind closed doors. But first, I want to take a moment to remind you that independent journalism only survives if the readers who depend on it choose to support it.

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Trump kept calling Leavitt during her brief maternity leave, apparently desperate to know when she’d abandon her newborn and get back to the podium. One source close to her told the Daily Mail she was already seriously thinking about quitting while those frequent calls kept coming in. CNN’s Alayna Treene reported the same pattern of pressure, citing anonymous sources.

Leavitt left for maternity leave on April 27, three days later than planned, gave birth to her daughter on May 1, and was back at work just nine weeks later. Federal employees are supposed to get 12 weeks of paid parental leave, but she didn’t take it.

One source gave their version of Leavitt’s burnout, saying that during her first week back, “she realized she wasn’t feeling it anymore.”

Another source added: “It was a very stressful job to do with her children. 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. The president did everything he could to keep her.”

Leavitt’s own statement on X was more polite than the apparent reality behind the scenes.

“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.

Another source suggested that while Leavitt had been considering leaving for some time, Trump’s unending calls pushed her over the edge.

Trump, for his part, announced the departure with the usual tacky praise.

“Our wonderful White House Press Secretary, and one of my most trusted aides, Karoline 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!” he wrote in a post to Truth Social. “Karoline has been a real leader in the White House, and has done a phenomenal job fighting for Justice, Liberty, and Freedom, since 2018, including our Historic Re-Election Campaign of 2024. Karoline has been one of the best White House Press Secretaries in the History of the Office. Thank you, Karoline, for a job well done!”

His claim that he’s “totally understand[s] and respect[s]” the choice is pretty rich considering that he’s the guy who couldn’t manage to leave her alone for three full months with her newborn. The administration was supposedly surprised by the news, and Trump even asked her to stay, but she was having none of it.

Leavitt, the youngest press secretary in history at 28 when she took the job, is heading for the exit after a run that included plenty of loyal service and zero room for actual recovery time. Trump’s constant harassment of her during what should have been bonding time with her baby apparently apparently sealed it.

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