Trump says White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt to leave post

Leavitt has had a sometimes combative relationship with the media during her tenure, accusing some reporters of being biased or left-wing.

In February last year, her office seized control of the White House press pool, stripping organisational duties from the White House Correspondent's Association, as well as initially barring the Associated Press over its refusal to adopt the term "Gulf of America".

Among supporters of the Trump administration, however, she was widely praised for remaining "on message" and ferociously defending the president's policies.

"Watching it in person was even better than watching it online," Fox host and conservative activist Riley Gaines wrote on X after one particularly feisty briefing room exchange. "Karoline Leavitt is so good at her job."

She is the second longest-serving press secretary in either of Trump's administrations, following only Sarah Huckabee Sanders.

It is unclear who will now become Trump's sixth chief spokesperson across his two administrations.

During Leavitt's roughly seven-week maternity leave earlier this year, a series of senior Trump administration figures took the podium including Vice-President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Secretary of the Interior Doug Bergum.

The BBC has contacted the White House for comment on potential choices and the timeline of her replacement's selection.

In an interview with Fox News on Wednesday, White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller - who called Leavitt a "close friend" and "role model".

"We're going to continue working together every single day," he added. "Her story is just beginning. I can't wait to see what her future holds."