The White House is considering an unusual approach to handling press briefings following Karoline Leavitt’s departure, with cabinet officials potentially rotating behind the podium until President Donald Trump chooses a permanent replacement, according to a report Monday.
Semafor White House correspondent Shelby Talcott reported that administration officials are discussing reviving the arrangement used during Leavitt’s recent maternity leave, when senior members of the administration periodically conducted briefings rather than having a designated interim press secretary.
“It’s a temporary practice that satisfied Trump during the period that Leavitt was off for maternity leave, and a White House official told Semafor that it’s once again under discussion until a new permanent press secretary is named,” Talcott wrote.
While Leavitt was away on maternity leave, the administration opted against appointing someone to formally serve as acting press secretary. Instead, Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz were among the officials who appeared at the White House podium.
Should the administration return to that system, some of those same officials could again conduct briefings, along with other senior administration figures considered capable of handling the reporters gathered in the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room.
The search for Leavitt’s successor may also carry less urgency than a press secretary vacancy would have in previous administrations, largely because Trump himself maintains an unusually frequent dialogue with the media. The president regularly answers questions from reporters several times during a typical week.
According to figures previously reported by Breitbart News, Trump appeared at nearly 500 transcribed events during 2025 and interacted with reporters at approximately three-quarters of those appearances.
Those interactions included questions at 134 press sprays, each of his 15 general rallies and 14 formal press conferences. Trump also fielded questions during 31 Marine One gaggles, 41 exchanges with reporters aboard Air Force One and 28 gaggles outside the presidential aircraft, effectively making the president one of the administration’s most prominent and frequently heard spokesmen.
Trump, meanwhile, recently praised Leavitt during an interview with Fox News reporter Alexis McAdams, saying that replacing her would not be easy.
Asked whether Leavitt was replaceable, Trump replied, “No, she’s not. She really isn’t. She’s standing right over there, and she’s done a great job.”
“I found out she likes her children more than she likes Trump. I’m very concerned about that,” he jokingly added.
