White House Resumes Press Briefings After 40-Day Hiatus

The White House will host its first press briefing since July 23 on Thursday, September 4, ending a hiatus of more than 40 days. The gap in briefings followed the August 27 departure of Karoline Leavitt, the youngest-ever White House press secretary, who resigned to focus on her children. During Leavitt's maternity leave and subsequent exit, Vice President JD Vance and various cabinet secretaries managed the podium.

Leavitt has transitioned to a role as an outside adviser to the president and will work with the MAGA Inc. super PAC. While the administration has not yet named a permanent successor, potential candidates rumored for the position include White House Communications Director Steven Cheung, Principal Deputy Press Secretary Anna Kelly, and CNN contributor Scott Jennings. Jennings has publicly denied interest in the role.

President Donald Trump has shown no urgency in filling the vacancy, with Leavitt noting that the president views himself as his own best spokesperson. Trump remarked that he received an unusually high volume of job applications for the post, attributing the interest to the fact that Leavitt made the job very glamorous.