Will Trump name a new White House press secretary before Aug 29?
96% of users predicted YES — the community missed this one. 23 predictions cast.
President Trump's press secretary Karoline Leavitt announced in mid-August 2026 that she would step down at the end of the month to spend more time with her family. Trump publicly confirmed her departure on August 12, and speculation quickly centered on candidates including principal deputy press secretary Anna Kelly, former Trump attorney Alina Habba, and adviser Jason Miller. Despite that speculation, the White House did not name a successor before Leavitt's exit. Administration officials told NBC News that Trump was in no hurry to fill the role and intended to wait until after the November midterm elections to make a permanent pick, citing the sensitivity of installing a new messenger so close to the vote. In the interim, officials including Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio were expected to periodically fill in at the podium.
The prediction market's community strongly expected a new press secretary to be named before August 29, with 96 percent forecasting yes. The administration's decision to delay the appointment left the community badly misjudging the timeline; the outcome resolved no.