Trump's press secretary exits White House after seven months

Karoline Leavitt is leaving her role as White House press secretary, President Trump announced, with GB News describing her as a "fierce Trump ally" making a "bittersweet decision". The Independent published her announcement in full, though the outlets don't specify her next move or the reason for departure.

Leavitt's tenure has been brief - Trump began his second term in late January 2025, making this a seven-month stint at the podium. For context, the role has historically seen high turnover: Trump's first term cycled through four press secretaries in four years, and the position has grown more combative as the relationship between the White House and the press has deteriorated. The job's half-life has shortened.

The announcement comes as the BBC reports on separate White House operational detail: members of Trump's cabinet remained on a decoy plane while Trump made a "quiet exit" - a security measure that underscores the logistical complexity around presidential movements, even in a second term.

The other story in the cluster is noise: The Independent notes the White House shared a photo of Trump ignoring eclipse safety warnings, the sort of symbolic gesture that fills timelines but says nothing about governance.

What to watch: who Trump names next, and whether the role's mandate changes - a shorter tenure suggests either the President wants a different tone or the job has become unworkable under current terms. The replacement will tell you which.