Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt's impending exit follows reports of administration friction and presidential frustration
AI-generated summary
The administration has faced previous high-profile departures, including the ousting of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Attorney General Pam Bondi earlier this year.
The mood inside the White House has reportedly taken a dive and numerous staffers could be heading towards the exit sometime soon, following Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt’s impending departure.
“He is not in a great place with his staff, according to everyone we talked to,” New York Times correspondent Maggie Haberman, co-author of a recent book on Trump, told MS Now on Thursday. “He is lashing out a lot, which tends to happen when things are not going well.”
“Most people have decided that they want to go do something else,” she added.
“Maggie Haberman of the Failing New York Times constantly speaks like she’s a Trump psychologist when in reality she just has a creepy obsession with the President and clings onto him for relevance,” White House spokesman Davis Ingle told The Independent in a statement. “It’s been very sad to watch for years.”
Reports have trickled out about tension inside the administration.
There has reportedly been grumbling inside the White House about Natalie Harp, an aide known for her intense devotion to the president.
“She is not beloved by a lot of her colleagues,” Haberman told CNN last week.
The president allegedly recently confronted Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth at Camp David about how the Iran war is causing a shortage of U.S. munitions that could limit American options to end the conflict.
Trump allegedly expressed that he felt misled about the dwindling weapons stockpile, saying that he thought the issue “had been fixed,” two people familiar with the matter told The Washington Post.
The report prompted the president to lash out on social media against “treasonous” leakers.
“Defense companies are building the largest number of plants and factories in our country’s history,” the president wrote on Truth Social earlier this month about the “100 percent fake” news story. “The ‘leakers’ of these treasonous statements are being hunted down. Long term jail sentences will be sought!”
The White House was also reportedly unhappy that FBI Director Kash Patel was seen partying with members of the victorious U.S. Olympic hockey team earlier this year and openly discussed firing him.
The White House and Patel have denied such accounts, and the FBI director launched a defamation suit against The Atlantic over its reporting about Patel’s alleged troubles in office.
Before Leavitt’s exit, expected at the end of this month, there were a few high-profile staff changes.
In March, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem was ousted, in the wake of scrutiny into department spending and mass outrage after immigration agents fatally shot two protesters in Minnesota.
The following month, Attorney General Pam Bondi was fired, following chaos surrounding the DOJ’s handling of the Epstein files.
AI outlook — possibilities, not facts
Karoline Leavitt will depart the White House at the end of the month.
Very likely · Within weeks

CIA Director John Ratcliffe visited Moscow to warn Russia against attacking NATO and address Iranian shipping issues. The trip, confirmed by media reports and the Kremlin, comes amid heightened tensions in the Ukraine war and ongoing U.S.-Iran economic pressure.
The Trump administration has warned U.S. universities that non-compliance with Curricular Practical Training (CPT) regulations could lead to the loss of their ability to enroll international students, prompting immediate processing pauses at major institutions.
CIA Director John Ratcliffe visited Moscow to meet FSB chief Aleksandr Bortnikov, urging Russia to negotiate an end to the Ukraine war. Meanwhile, Russia launched massive overnight strikes on Ukrainian infrastructure, while Kyiv reported record-breaking air raid alerts.

The far-right AfD leads polls for the September 6 Saxony-Anhalt state election, sparking anxiety among migrant communities. Politicians and residents discuss the implications of the party's 'remigration' platform on social cohesion and personal safety.
The Republican-led effort to hold Dr. Anthony Fauci in contempt of Congress has stalled due to concerns over its legal validity. Lawmakers are debating whether to bypass a full floor vote, while the Justice Department has yet to receive a formal referral.

Crown Prince Haakon has become King Haakon VIII of Norway following the death of his father, King Harald V. The new monarch faces the challenge of strengthening public support for the royal house amid recent controversies involving his family members.