The 29-year-old ex-beauty queen in line to be Trump’s new mouthpiece

Julianna SalinasThu, August 13, 2026 at 4:45 PM UTC

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Anna Kelly is 29 years old -Credit:Reach Publishing Services Limited

People are already speculating who will take over for Karoline Leavitt after the White House Press Secretary steps down in August, with one former beauty queen topping the list of potential candidates.

Anna Kelly currently serves as the White House Deputy Press Secretary, but many believe the 29-year-old will take over for Karoline, who is leaving the role to spend more time with her family after the birth of her second child. The former Miss State Fair of Virginia is favored to be the top pick to replace Karoline as the White House's official spokesperson.

The theory follows reports that Trump pressured Leavitt over her return from maternity leave with relentless phone calls, while her replacement remains a mystery.

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Karoline made history as the youngest White House Press Secretary, beginning the role when she was 27 years old, and has been the only one of Trump's four press secretaries to serve for over a year without being canned by the president. Karoline had only recently returned to the podium after a short seven-week maternity leave following the birth of her second child, before the news of her stepping down broke.

Trump announced her departure on Truth Social on August 12, writing, "Our wonderful White House Press Secretary, and one of my most trusted aides, Karoline 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!"

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Karoline Leavitt is stepping down as press secretary -Credit:X

The former beauty contestant is favored to take over -Credit:X

Anna's name has been tossed in the ring as Karoline's potential successor. As deputy press secretary, Anna adopted Trump's 'fake news' stance against mainstream media outlets and their reporters. The two also apparently share an affinity for beauty pageants, given Trump's past as the owner of the Miss Universe pageant.

The redhead's political career kicked off in her mid-teens as a campaign intern before she obtained her degree in political science from Auburn University.

As a beauty pageant contestant, Anna won Miss State Fair Virginia in 2018 and Miss Madison in 2022, singing songs from Aretha Franklin and Jennifer Holliday as her talent. After getting her master's in political management from George Washington University, she went on to work as communications director for Wisconsin Congressman Derrick Van Orden in 2023.

She went on to become national press secretary for the Republican Party before serving as Deputy White House Press Secretary under Karoline.

Anna Kelly currently serves as Deputy White House Press Secretary -Credit:AnnaKelly47/X

While Anna seems like a shoo-in for the role, some in the political sphere believe that she's just not ready. One Republican source told the Daily Mail that she "needs more polish despite being a former pageant contestant," as another administration official reportedly said that she is "good on TV, but I wouldn’t say she could completely fill Karoline’s shoes."

Front-runners to take over for Karoline Leavitt include Republican political strategist Scott Jennings, former Trump attorney Alina Habba, and White House communications director Steven Cheung.

Other potential candidates gaining traction include former White House Deputy Communications Director Roma Daravi, Trump's daughter-in-law and Fox News host Lara Trump, and even the president's executive assistant, Natalie Harp, who has been rumored to be in the running to become the Trump administration's official mouthpiece.

Original Article on Source

Source: “AOL Entertainment”