RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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See the full story · 5 sourcesThe midterms typically foretell a Cabinet reshuffle. Now that the press secretary is departing, here are some other key administration officials who might leave before the year ends, Eric Garcia writes
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O n Wednesday, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt dropped a bombshell: She would be leaving the Trump administration after serving the president since the 2024 campaign trail.
My colleague, The Independent ’s White House correspondent Andrew Feinberg, reported that Leavitt’s announcement was so sudden that Trump did not have a viable candidate waiting in the wings to replace her. Leavitt has been one of Trump’s most stalwart defenders and did her job far more deftly than some of her predecessors in the first Trump administration.
It’s hard to blame Leavitt for exiting early. The job is the most visible face of the administration and press secretaries are, by definition, whipping boys (and girls) for reporters. But her exit comes after high-profile firings and exits in the administration ranging from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to Attorney General Pam Bondi to Labor Secretary Lori Chavez DeRemer .
The Trump administration is quickly looking toward the close of the second year of its second term. Historically, this is when White Houses make major shakeups, either because the job is exhausting, there is no prospect for another term so staffers look to get the best next-gig they can while they are still hot or because they have fallen out of favor with the president.
Here’s a list of who might follow Leavitt out the door befiore year’s end:
All memes about Secretary of State Marco Rubio taking on every job possible in the Trump administration aside, a Rubio exit would likely not be acrimonious.
The most hawkish member of the Trump administration’s foreign policy team has accomplished many of his goals from capturing Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro to pressuring the Cuban government.
But the job of secretary of State is supposed to be nonpartisan. For Rubio to begin a run for the White House, as many expect the former Florida senator to do, he would need to leave the White House while gets ready to potentially square off against Vice President JD Vance.
Historically, Defense secretaries are the first to get the axe or take the blame for wars gone awry.
The most famous example came after the 2006 midterm elections when President George W. Bush fired Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld as the Iraq War devolved into chaos.
If Democrats win back the House of Representatives and the Senate, it might be Pete Hegseth’s time to go. If not, he risks being dragged in front of committees on a regular basis and coming under additional scrutiny for the Trump administration’s handling of the Iran War.
Susie Wiles has been, by far, Trump’s most effective White House chief of staff.
While Trump cycled through chiefs once a year during his first term, Wiles capably ran his first campaign and is now the first female White House Chief of Staff.
She also underwent cancer treatment this year. But chiefs of staff have arguably the most taxing job in Washington.
It would not be surprising if she left and someone like her former deputy James Blair, who went to work on the 2026 midterm, took over.
Perhaps nobody would be dragged up to Capitol Hill more under a Democrat-controlled House of Representatives than Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick.
Not only would he face scrutiny for his management of tariffs, but given his past contact with Jeffrey Epstein — even years after he reportedly said he did not want to be in a room with the now dead convicted sex trafficker — he would likely be the subject of numerous probes by the House Oversight Committee.
Also, Lutnick has been the president’s biggest defender when it comes to tariffs. If the cost of living still becomes a problem for Americans, he might be next on the chopping block.
Though lesser known than some on this list, Braid’s job is essentially to serve as the liaison between the White House and Congress. Braid worked for Vice President JD Vance in his Senate office. That served as an effective resume when dealing with the unruly Republicans in the House and Senate.
But if Democrats take back the House and even the Senate, they will need someone with a more effective touch who can bridge divides within the party.
Of course, many of these are hypotheticals. And some of the Cabinet secretaries might not want to leave, lest the president have a difficult time confirming their replacements through a Democratic-controlled Senate.
Furthermore, as Trump enters the twilight of his time in elected office, he will likely rely more on longtime loyalist.
But between a mix of burnout, a desire not to be called before Congress to testify or falling out of favor, expect there to be significant turnover in the coming months.
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