Hometown hero Matthew Hudson-Smith lived out a childhood dream as he was crowned European 400m champion on the track that made him.

The 31-year-old blitzed the field from lane nine and held firm on the home straight to land his fifth continental gold and become the most decorated British man in the history of this competition.

He celebrated by heading straight into the stands and pointing at the stand which bears his name as he soaked up the acclaim of an adoring second city crowd.

“Words can’t describe how much that meant to me,” he said.

“My coach said to me ‘this is your home, defend it’. I knew it would take a hell of an effort for someone to get past me.

“No-one was going to beat me on this track, this is my home. I have been here since I was nine, I know this track like the back of my hand.

“I knew I was the best in the world, I knew I am faster than every single one of these guys. It was just me against the clock.”

Hudson-Smith’s semi-final the previous night saw him surge out the traps before being reeled in up the home straight.

It turned out he was just saving energy. Lining up in the outside lane, Hudson-Smith took control from the outset and built his lead as he surged down the back straight.

This time, there was no catching him and he crossed in 44.17 to land his eighth European medal in all.

“The whole point of rounds is to survive and advance,” he said.

“I was trying to conserve rounds and we were just laughing all the way through, me and my coach.

“I just followed the gameplan and went from there.”

Five European golds puts him level with Roger Black and Sir Mo Farah, while only Dina Asher-Smith has won more outdoor continental medals among British athletes.

Hudson-Smith’s triumph was followed by silver in the women’s 400m hurdles for rising star Emily Newnham.

The 22-year-old won a medal of the same colour at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow and kicked on to new heights in Birmingham, clocking a lifetime best of 53.33 to trail only dominant Slovakian Emma Zapletalova.

“I’m so happy,” she said. “I told myself a medal was mine today and I just had to believe it.

“I needed to get out hard, which I am not known for, but being in lane nine that was required.

“Pressure is a privilege and I just wanted to show what I could do.”

Amy Hunt kept her bid for a remarkable European quadruple on track by easing into tonight’s 200m final in Birmingham.

The newly-crowned fastest woman on the continent over 100m was able to ease up down the home straight after a flying start and won her semi-final in 22.37.

“I knew I needed to put down a really hard turn, kill them to 150m and no-one was ever going to hang with me,” she said.

Asher-Smith joins Hunt in the showpiece after a similarly stress-free semi.

The 30-year-old, a world and European champion over this distance in the past, cruised to victory in the opening semi-final in 22.49.

“I don’t really think about what’s gone before or what lies ahead, I’m just trying to stay in the moment and execute,” she said.

British champion Success Eduan advanced as one of two fastest losers in 22.56 to ensure all three home hopefuls will be on the start line.

Novuna is the Official Finance Partner of British Athletics and proud sponsor of the GB & NI Athletics Team. From everyday goals to world-class dreams, Novuna backs the ambition of millions across the UK — from supporting British businesses and individuals’ plans, to powering British Athletics on the global stage. Find out more at www.novuna.co.uk

Atletico Madrid have agreed a £34.2m (40m euros) fee to sign Cristian Romero from Tottenham.

The 28-year-old is set to become Atletico’s fourth signing of the summer, while Spurs will also retain a 15 per cent sell-on clause as part of the deal.

Argentina international Romero was the subject of interest from Premier League champions Arsenal in recent days, but Tottenham did not want to sell their captain to their north London rivals.

He leaves Tottenham after five seasons, having made 156 appearances for them, scoring 13 times, following an initial campaign on loan from Atalanta in 2021.

The centre-back played for Argentina during their run to the World Cup final this summer, missing just one game.

Romero was scheduled to return to pre-season with Spurs in the coming week after being given extra time off following the tournament in North America.

He captained the side last season as Tottenham narrowly avoided relegation from the Premier League.

Having signed permanently from Atalanta in a £42.5m deal, Romero became a key figure in their defence.

The news will be a blow to Spurs fans who are also set to lose Djed Spence to Inter Milan, who are in advanced talks to sign the England full-back in a £25.6m (30m euros) deal.

With the additions of midfielders Kang-in Lee and Morten Hjulmand and left-back Alejandro Grimaldo, Atletico are set to take their transfer spending over £100m this summer should they complete the Romero deal.

Head coach Diego Simeone is aiming to strengthen his squad after they finished fourth in La Liga last season, with Villarreal beating them to third place.

Double killer Simon Levy was ordered to serve a whole life sentence today as a victim’s mother said her daughter had lost her life to save countless women from a monster.

The 40-year-old sexual predator who murdered two women, raped and almost killed a third while he was on bail for multiple sex attacks, will now die behind bars.

In a series of blunders by police and prosecutors, Levy was left free to kill Carmenza Valencia-Trujillo, 53, Sheryl Wilkins, 39, and rape a third woman last year after being repeatedly released on bail.

Levy had been preying on women for years, committing at least 13 sexual assaults between 2018 and 2025, but police, prosecutors and magistrates failed to remand him in custody even when he was under investigation for murder.

Now campaigners have called for the Metropolitan Police to be disbanded saying the case shows that the ‘criminal justice system is in a state of collapse’.

Today the mother of his final murder victim said Sheryl’s death in August last year had saved countless lives as it forced police to act.

In a victim impact statement, Mary Wilkins told the partially blind killer: ‘Simon Levy, you have completely destroyed our lives.

‘You have done this before and wouldn’t have stopped.

‘Our Sheryl has ended your chances of hurting anyone else, she lost her life to do this, but we truly believe Sheryl has saved countless women from being subjected to your disgusting and horrendous acts. 

An artist’s impression of Levy appearing at the Old Bailey, London, today

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Sheryl Wilkins was murdered by Levy on August 28, 2025. The killer left her body in the same location as an earlier rape attack, just minutes from his own home

‘I hope you never walk the streets again as you are a threat to all women.’

Sheryl’s sister Lindsey Hicks wept at the Old Bailey as she told him: ‘I hope you rot in prison for the rest of your life.’

Detectives believe Levy may have been carrying out daily attacks for years, escalating from groping women on the London Underground to rape, suffocation and eventually murder.

Although he had a shocking record for sexual violence dating back to 2018, British Transport Police (BTP), the Metropolitan Police and magistrates all failed to appreciate the danger he posed, releasing Levy on bail four times leaving him free to daily stalk the transport network claiming countless victims.

While on bail he carried out at least six sexual assaults on the tube, Levy raped and suffocated a sex worker leaving her for dead in January last year before going on to commit two murders months later.

Today the surviving rape victim described Levy as a ‘monster’ saying: ‘He took away my soul that night and he took away my dignity. He took my soul like a parasite to make him feel strong and make me feel weak.

‘That night was worse than all the hell of trafficking.’

The woman who was sex trafficked into the UK in 2012 said police had made her feel ‘like a child’ when she reported the attack, adding: ‘No one ever listened to me.’

She said: ‘This monster chooses girls he thinks won’t go to the police.’ 

Carmenza Valencia-Trujillo was found face down in a stairwell of a disused block of flats in Southwark, south east London

Detective Chief Inspector Neil John spoke outside the Old Bailey after Levy was found guilty

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Earlier, Levy, who wore sunglasses throughout the sentencing hearing, smiled as he entered the dock to be sentenced.

Judge Mark Lucraft, said the double killer had a ‘morbid fascination with sex, rape and crime’ adding: ‘You are clearly someone who ruthlessly exploits others for your own personal sexual satisfaction.’

Levy showed no emotion as he was sentenced.

One family member shouted ‘Yes’ as the judge handed Levy a whole life sentence.

The partially blind offender was first jailed for three years in 2021 for sex attacks on two women at Notting Hill Carnival and a Camden street party in 2018.

In jail he groped a prison officer in 2022.

When he was released in February 2023, Levy ventured on the tube for prey, roaming stations across London at peak times when he knew carriages would be packed.

Travelling free on the tube with an Oyster card stolen from a bus driver, Levy tied a jumper around his waist to hide his wandering hand as he grabbed the women around him.

Levy was supposed to be supervised by both probation and police.

But his chilling fascination with rape and murder went unnoticed as the pervert secretly amassed a huge collection of newspaper stories about notorious offenders he lionised like black cab rapist John Worboys, paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, and Harvey Weinstein.

Levy was arrested in November 2024 for two sex attacks on the tube, but a BTP officer delayed doing basic ID checks for weeks, opting instead to extend his bail on January 21, 2025.

Emboldened, that night Levy rape and almost killed a prostitute, breaking her collar bone before raping her while he suffocated her with one hand squeezing her neck and another covering her face with a finger down her throat, leaving her near death.

On March 17 he killed Ms Valencia-Trujillo using the same tactic, compressing her neck and smothering her face.

A photo taken of Levy during one of his Tube attacks – he carried out at least six sexual assaults while on bail

He was arrested days later but was released him bail after the cause of the 53-year-old drug user’s death was deemed to be ‘unascertained’ in a postmortem.

Levy accelerated his offending, carrying out four further attacks on the underground.

On May 2, he was charged with five sex assaults on the tube, but he was released on bail by magistrates even though he was also suspected of murder.

Levy failed to show up at court when he was charged with a sixth sex assault charge on June 3, but officers failed to issue a warrant.

Three weeks later he was spotted on the underground by a BTP officer and charged with breaching his bail condition by going on the tube, failing to appear at court and committing two sex attacks.

Incredibly when he appeared at court, Levy was granted bail again.

He failed to attend further hearings on July 18 and August 11, yet no warrant was sought for his arrest.

On August 28, Levy killed Ms Wilkins using the same method leaving her body in the same location as the rape attack, just minutes from his own home.

Police arrested him on September 5 after he was identified at the scene on a facial recognition camera.

In February this year Levy was convicted of carrying out 11 sexual assaults between April 2022 and May 2025.

Harriet Wistrich, CEO of the Centre for Women’s Justice said: ‘The catalogue of combined failures in this case provides terrifying evidence – if it was needed – that our criminal justice system is in a state of collapse.

‘Given the series of catastrophic failures by the Met Police on top of an appalling history of police failures including those involved in the Worboys case to the more recent scandals in relation to police perpetrators, Wayne Couzens, David Carrick and others, we must conclude that the Met Police is not fit for purpose.

‘We must have an independent inquiry.

She added: ‘It is time to disband the Met Police and restructure and repurpose policing so that it can effectively tackle male violence and some semblance of trust and confidence can be restored.’

Commissioner Mark Rowley said the force had apologised, but described the case as a ‘whole system failing’.

On a night when most of the country spent their evening looking up at the sun, it was the stars of Manchester United that belatedly sparked the entertainment in Dublin.

The eclipse was the prelude to the Croke Park friendly between United and Leeds. An event seen once in a blue moon before one seen every pre-season. This game is a money-spinner for these two clubs now and the success of the jaunt over the Irish Sea pretty much guarantees it will be in the calendar again next season.

This is a fixture laced with history and was taking place at a venue laced with history. It was 17 years since a football match had been played at Croke Park and the return of the sport to a venue that is the home of the GAA was always going to attract a big crowd.

More than 80,000 fans packed into the stadium and for a while it looked like they might see a decent game. It petered out amid a raft of substitutions and with a couple of minutes to go, some enterprising youngsters made their own entertainment. First, a couple dashed onto the pitch, snapping selfies with Youri Tielemans, Bruno Fernandes and Matheus Cunha.

Two became three, and before you knew it, there was a whippersnapper making a dash for it from every angle. The officials had seen enough and blew up, sending us straight to penalties. Fernandes rolled his effort wide, but a Dermot Mee save from Harry Wilson and James Justin hitting the bar meant Noussair Mazraoui was able to win the Boyle Sports Cup for United. It will take pride of place alongside the Snapdragon Cup they won in Stockholm 10 days ago.

That was a day when United’s level of opposition rose and a day when Bryan Mbeumo really came to the party in pre-season. He has shone since moving to centre-forward and after three goals against Atletico Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain, he turned provider quite brilliantly here.

There were times when he tormented the Leeds defence. His movement, ability to drop deep and pressing are all traits that make him attractive to Michael Carrick as a striker, which could pose a problem to Benjamin Sesko.

The opening goal owed so much to the Cameroon international, but it stemmed from that desire to get involved. He was offering an outball on the left as United cleared their lines and used his intelligence to dash round Jaka Bijol and tear into the space. He found the pass to Joshua Zirkzee, who swept home a left-footed finish.

Mbeumo could have had a goal of his own soon after. He tried to pass to Patrick Dorgu when he should probably have had the shot, but the clearance fell back to him and his low drive required a brilliant save from James Trafford.

United were playing some slick football going forward, but on a night when youth got a go from the start, it only reinforced the need to go back into the transfer market. Harry Amass found it tough going at left-back, conceding too many free-kicks, while Tyler Fletcher was pickpocketed in possession a couple of times.

One of them proved particularly costly, with Daniel James pouncing and finding Brenden Aaronson, who was able to apply a simple finish to bring Leeds level.

Fletcher had been pressed into action early against PSG on Saturday, with Mason Mount taken off as a precaution. Mount’s extended absence at Croke Park meant a start for the 19-year-old, and when Toby Collyer joined him for the second half it felt like a reminder of the need to sign a third midfielder.

The same is true at left-back. Amass has potential and has bulked up this summer, but he was rash at times in this game and although he had a good first half of last season in the Championship, he needs more games and isn’t ready for the top end of the Premier League at this stage of his career.

After a flurry of transfer activity a month ago, Ineos have put the chequebook away since, but it’s clear this United squad needs more depth and quality if it is to sustain a challenge on four fronts this season.

There have been signs of development in pre-season. A more patient, possession-based approach has started to bed in and there is the hint of a little more control. But the squad remains a concern. With less than three weeks of the transfer window to go, the clock is ticking for United.

Two men have been charged after a third man was ‘seriously injured’ after an alleged disturbance in Glasgow.

A man has appeared in court charged with attempted murder following an incident near a park in Glasgow.

Police sealed off residential streets around Queen’s Park after the alarm was raised on Monday night, August 10. Emergency services were responding to reports of a disturbance on Balvicar Drive shortly after 7pm.

A heavy police presence was in place overnight on Pollokshaws Road and blue tape was erected around Balvicar Street and Queen’s Drive, at the Queen’s Park Hotel.

A 31-year-old man was taken to the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital after he sustained “serious” injuries. Police Scotland confirmed that two men, aged 25 and 33, have been charged in connection with the incident.

John Marshall, the 33-year-old, appeared for a private hearing at Glasgow Sheriff Court on Wednesday. Marshall, of Glasgow, was charged on four counts including assault, assault to severe injury, attempted murder and robbery, assault and attempted robbery, and possession of a bladed weapon in a public place.

He made no plea, was committed for further examination and remanded in custody. He is due to appear in court again in the next eight days. The 25-year-old man will appear at a later date.

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.”

A couple from Bedfordshire’s dream of finding a permanent home in Norfolk and starting a new business has been dealt a major blow

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A Bedfordshire couple’s plans to find their dream home and start a new business in the countryside have suffered a major setback.

The couple appeared on Wednesday (August 12) episode of Escape to the Country and the property they had hoped would become their forever home slipped through their fingers.

Ray and Vicky had been searching for more than just a new house. The couple wanted to leave their busy life in Bedfordshire behind and create a quieter future in the Norfolk countryside.

They also hoped their move could mark the beginning of a new chapter financially, with plans to use their new home and land to create an income stream, potentially by running a bed and breakfast.

Presenter Margherita Taylor was on hand to help as they explored properties around rural Norfolk. Ray and Vicky met while serving in the Military and have spent the past 33 years building a life together, including living in different countries and raising their three children, James, Connor and Alicia.

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Now with their children grown up, they were hoping Norfolk would become their final destination. Their plans were ambitious. With a budget of £680,000, they wanted a detached property in a peaceful location with at least three bedrooms.

The couple were also looking for somewhere that could accommodate their son Connor, their two dogs and chickens, while offering enough space or land to potentially start a business.

Margherita unveiled the mystery property. Located in West Bilney, Norfolk, the characterful property came with five bedrooms and around ten acres of land. It was on the market for £695,000 and appeared to offer almost everything Ray and Vicky had been looking for.

Vicky was immediately captivated. Before they had even stepped inside, she exclaimed: “Wow. I’m so excited right now. My mind is blown.”

As they explored the property, her excitement only grew. “It’s all just stunning. It’s exactly what we dreamed of, really,” she said.

She later admitted she loved almost everything about the house and could already picture herself living there. “I just want to rush home, sell the house and come here tomorrow and just start living here,” she said.

The flexible layout and substantial amount of land also appeared to give the couple the opportunity to turn their plans for a business into reality.

It looked like the kind of property that could finally give them the permanent base and lifestyle they had been searching for.

Keen to make the move happen, Ray and Vicky wasted no time putting their current home on the market and making an offer on the Norfolk property.

But despite finding a property they described as their dream home, their plans were thrown into doubt when another buyer made a higher offer

Margherita revealed the disappointing news, explaining that while the couple had made an offer on the mystery house, another buyer had offered more.

“Sadly for them they were outbid,” she told viewers. The setback meant the couple’s search for their permanent Norfolk home would have to continue.

You can stream Escape to the Country on BBC iPlayer

A chocolate bar has been made using entirely British ingredients for the first time in nearly a century, with cocoa from not Brazil or Bali, but Berkshire.

Created at the University of Reading, it was named the Reading 100 Chocolate Bar to mark the university’s 100th anniversary.

It is the first of its kind since 1932, when Rowntrees gifted a six-year-old Princess Elizabeth the only other bar of UK-grown chocolate ever made.

Food security master’s student Maha Khan created the chocolate bar by harvesting, fermenting and processing the Reading-grown cocoa.

While the UK’s chocolate market is worth £10.4bn, it is entirely reliant on imported cocoa.

Maha told the Today programme she made the bar to highlight the challenges facing the cocoa growing industry.

She said: “It is incredible that we can make 100% British chocolate – but in the context of climate change, pests and diseases, there are estimates that 30 to 40% is lost.

“And we’ve seen with these heatwaves, climate change, these problems and challenges are only going to get exacerbated.”

Millions of Britons will have their eyes on the skies tonight as a solar eclipse sweeps across Europe. 

Aside from being incredible to look at, they are also known to create no shortage of strange events. 

The unexpected darkness will disrupt the internal clocks of many animals – including pets – leading to confusion and anxiety. 

‘Some animals rely even more heavily on light cues; birds are one example,’ explained Dr Kristina Paradowski, a clinical assistant professor at the Texas A&M School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences.

‘If a pet bird is out of its cage, it may go back in and find its perch as if it is nighttime. 

‘Pet birds in the path of totality will likely be more vocal in periods prior to and after the eclipse, but silent during the peak eclipse.’

Research has also shown that previous eclipses have led to a spike in traffic accidents.

What’s more, a 2011 study found that even microbes get muddled during these celestial events – with some species changing shape during the peak. 

1. Animals will act strangely

Animals rely on cues from nature to understand what time of day it is. As a result, the darkened sky brought on by an eclipse can cause wildlife to shift their routines.

For example, during the 2017 total solar eclipse over the US, fireflies started flashing their lights when the phenomenon hit its peak. 

‘The arrival of darkness triggers many species of firefly to produce a chemical reaction that lights up their abdomen. This light is a signal to attract potential mates,’ the US Fish and Wildlife Service explained. 

And during a 1991 total eclipse over Mexico, spiders were found to start taking their webs down, as if it were nighttime. 

The US Fish and Wildlife Service added: ‘After the sun reappeared, they began to rebuild their webs again like it was the start of a new day.’

And it’s not just wild animals who will be confused during tonight’s event. 

Dr Kristina Paradowski, a clinical assistant professor at the Texas A&M School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, says the eclipse could spark unusual reactions from pets

According to Dr Paradowski, the eclipse could also spark unusual reactions from pets. 

‘The sudden increase in darkness during what should be the middle of the day is puzzling and disorienting for pets,’ she explained. 

‘Often, when darkness quickly increases during what should be daylight, storms follow. 

‘As a result, there may be a conditioned response in some animals to be expecting storms when the day suddenly darkens. 

‘This can be especially true in animals with storm anxiety.’ 

2. There will be a spike in traffic accidents

During the 2017 solar eclipse over the US, scientists from the University of Toronto charted a spike in road traffic accidents. 

‘We found a significant increase in traffic risk in the US around the time of the total eclipse, averaging to one extra vehicle crash every 25 minutes and one extra crash fatality every 95 minutes,’ said lead investigator, Professor Donald Redelmeier. 

During the 2017 solar eclipse over the US, scientists from the University of Toronto charted a spike in road traffic accidents

‘The total amounted to 46 extra deaths linked to the eclipse.’

While the reason for this spike remains unclear, the researchers say it’s probably not down to the change of light itself.  

Professor Redelmeier added: ‘Instead, the findings likely derive from increased traffic, travel on unfamiliar routes, speeding to arrive on time, driver distraction by a celestial event, drug–or–alcohol–impairment from related celebrations, or eclipse viewing from unsafe roadside locations.’

3. It will suddenly get cooler 

Temperatures across the UK will drop by several degrees tonight, thanks to the solar eclipse. 

As the moon covers the sun – by up to 96 per cent in parts of Britain – it will not only get cooler, but winds will also drop. 

However, there is a catch. 

This relief from the heat will only last for around an hour. 

Asked how cool it might get, a spokesman for the Royal Astronomical Society told the Daily Mail: ‘It’s hard to say exactly as it depends on the time of day and amount of coverage of the Sun but usually about 1C to 3C during a partial solar eclipse and around 5C during a total solar eclipse. 

‘These are averages though, it can be more or less.’

4. The wind will change direction

The ‘eclipse wind’ is a change in wind direction as the moon temporarily blocks out the sun.

In 2015, scientists from the University of Reading set up roadside weather sensors during a partial solar eclipse. 

They found that the wind changes direction thanks to changes to the ‘boundary layer’ – the area of air that usually separates high-level winds from those at the ground.

Professor Giles Harrison, who organised the experiment, explained: ‘As the sun disappears behind the moon the ground suddenly cools, just like at sunset. 

‘This means warm air stops rising from the ground, causing a drop in wind speed and a shift in its direction, as the slowing of the air by the Earth’s surface changes.’

In 2015, scientists from the University of Reading set up roadside weather sensors during a partial solar eclipse. They found that the wind changes direction thanks to changes to the ‘boundary layer’ – the area of air that usually separates high-level winds from those at the ground 

5. Tides reach their peak   

While eclipses themselves don’t cause strong tides, they always coincide with a new moon – meaning tides are at their peak. 

As a result, lifeguards are urging people not to swim in the sea during the event. 

RNLI Jersey posted on Facebook: ‘RNLI lifeguards do not recommend swimming after 6pm over the next couple of days due to the increase in swell and large pushing tides.’

6. Microbes will shapeshift 

The team studied bacteria and fungi before and after the event, and noted ‘significant changes’. 

‘There was significant change observed during exposure to normal sunlight and eclipse phase,’ they explained in their study, published in the Journal of Pharmacy and Bioallied Sciences.

‘Bacterial colonies showed difference in morphology on smear examination and sensitivity pattern during this study. 

‘One fungal species and three bacterial isolates were studied and changes were recorded. 

‘Fungal species showed a definite change in their morphology on exposure to sunlight during eclipse.’

WASHINGTON (AP) — White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, the youngest person to hold the role, will leave at month’s end, President Donald Trump announced Wednesday.

Leavitt, 28, just recently returned to the White House after taking a brief leave for the birth of her second child in May.

Leavitt has been one of the most visible advocates of Trump’s “Make America Great Again” movement. The Republican president described her as one of his “most trusted aides” in a social media post announcing her departure.

He said Leavitt “will be departing her role at the end of the month so she can spend more time with her beautiful young children and family, a decision I totally understand and respect! Karoline will now be one of my top outside advisors, and an influential voice within the Republican Party, as we work to defy History, and conclusively win the Midterm Elections.”

Leavitt recently returned to work after taking leave following the birth of her second child, a daughter, in May. She also has a two-year-old son.

“The truth is since returning to the White House after the birth of my daughter, I have felt in my heart that I cannot be the best mom my two young children deserve while devoting the constant time, energy, and attention required of the White House Press Secretary — and that is why I have ultimately made the bittersweet decision to depart the White House and embark on a new chapter in my life,” Leavitt said in a social media post.

Trump did not outline plans for who might replace her in the high-profile role.

She worked as a spokesperson for MAGA Inc., a super PAC supporting Trump, before joining his 2024 campaign. In 2022, she ran for Congress in New Hampshire, winning a 10-way Republican primary before losing to incumbent Democratic Rep. Chris Pappas.

During Trump’s first term in office, Leavitt worked as a press aide in the White House press office. She then became communications director for New York Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik.