Leavitt is leaving his position as White House press secretary. Who will be his successor?

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt will leave her post at the end of the month, and the White House has not announced a successor, the BBC reported.

Sources within and close to the administration told the BBC that no decision has been made. The BBC said her departure will create a major opening in President Donald Trump's administration after years in which Leavitt worked closely with him. Trump called her one of his "most trusted aides" in announcing her departure.

The press secretary manages relationships with the press, coordinates with other parts of the White House, advises the president on media matters and oversees an office that receives significant daily inquiries and requests. "It's not easy," a source close to the administration told the BBC. "That person will be very aware that he's watching every day."

When Leavitt was on leave earlier this year, high-ranking officials including Vice-President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio handled press briefings rather than a temporary substitute from her office. Some people expect the White House to return to that system, at least temporarily.

The BBC named Alina Habba, Katie Miller, Anna Kelly and Steven Cheung among the people viewed as possible replacements. Habba, 42, was formerly Trump's personal lawyer and served as the president's counsellor during his first few months back at the White House. Miller, 34, was press secretary and communications director to former Vice-President Mike Pence and later communications director for Doge, the cost-cutting initiative headed by Elon Musk. Kelly, 29, is the current White House deputy press secretary, while Cheung is White House communications director and a long-time Trump adviser.

The BBC also named Sage Steele, Tricia McLaughlin and Scott Jennings as potential candidates. Steele, 53, is a former television anchor and sportscaster who campaigned for Trump in 2024. McLaughlin was assistant secretary for public affairs at the Department of Homeland Security and defended the administration's immigration policies on US airwaves. Jennings, 48, is a senior political contributor at CNN whom Trump praised last year, saying: "He's defending me all the time on CNN."