Braid announced this week that he will depart the White House. Leavitt said she planned to step down the week before. No replacements have been named for either role.
Staff changes around midterm elections are not unusual. However, allies and current and former officials said the timing is more consequential for this administration because Trump has often relied on a small group of close, loyal aides to drive his agenda and keep operations tightly aligned.
With elections potentially shaping the balance of power on Capitol Hill, the exits come as Trump faces a difficult outlook for the next two years. Democrats could gain control of Congress, setting up the likelihood of increased oversight, subpoenas and further legal and political battles. At the same time, the administration continues to contend with the longer-running war in the Middle East and preparations for an open Republican presidential primary.
An official who served in Trump’s first term said some staff were concluding that legislative progress could stall if Republicans lose one or both chambers. The person, granted anonymity to speak candidly, also described concerns about how taking on disputes before the end of the administration might affect post-White House career prospects in the private sector.
Legal Positions Also Set To Change
The president is also losing senior legal staff as he anticipates heightened congressional scrutiny and potential litigation if Democrats take control on the Hill. Trump announced on Friday that Ed Martin, his pardon attorney and a longtime ally, would leave for the private sector. The announcement followed a similar departure earlier this month involving White House counsel Dave Warrington.
Before the recent rounds of exits, Trump’s second term had been marked by most aides staying in post and carrying out his priorities with limited internal disruption, according to supporters inside the White House.
White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers said in a statement that Trump had built a political movement staffed by “talented” and “dedicated” people committed to executing the president’s agenda, adding that the effort would continue regardless of individual staff members’ departures.
Midterms Timing Raises Questions
Allies acknowledged that leaving ahead of a contentious midterms campaign is not ideal. Some said waiting could reduce political leverage, particularly if Republicans lose one or both chambers of Congress and relationships built during the term are affected.
One person close to the White House framed the decision around the ability to preserve business connections and future opportunities, arguing that exiting before the election could be more practical than staying through a period of peak uncertainty.
Braid has not publicly detailed his next steps, but a person familiar with his plans, speaking anonymously, said his last day in the role will be Sept. 30.
Leavitt said on X that she decided to leave after returning to work following the birth of her second child. She said she could not be the “best mom” while taking on the constant demands associated with the White House press secretary job.
Her announcement immediately raised questions about who would take over for one of the administration’s most visible and closely aligned figures. A White House official, granted anonymity to describe internal thinking, said the press secretary role requires being available around the clock and that Leavitt’s departure was connected specifically to her becoming a mother of two. The official added that people who have been in place since the campaign and early in the administration’s term would rotate out, with qualified insiders and outside candidates considered.
Tevi Troy, a presidential historian and former Bush White House aide, said that even when new staff are brought in, replacing a long-term collaborator can be difficult because of the learning and confidence that develop over time, including trust around leaks and ideological alignment.
Some analysts said the personnel changes would not determine whether the administration’s period ahead is smooth or difficult. Chris Whipple, a political analyst and contributor to Vanity Fair, said the outlook is likely to remain “choppy” regardless, describing the departures as affecting matters by degree rather than changing the overall risk of an unproductive two-year period.
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24 August 2026
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