Karoline Leavitt's Exit Puts a Spotlight on the 'Exhausting' Reality for Donald Trump's Female Aides
Karoline Leavitt’s White House exit is shining a new light on the intense beauty expectations facing women who work in Donald Trump‘s inner circle.
Some of the women who were formerly a part of the Donald Trump administrations anonymously spoke to the Daily Mail about the pressure to look “MAGA perfect” at all times. Glossy blowouts, heavily made-up faces, and form-fitting dresses are part of the uniform.
“It gets to be utterly draining,” one source told the media outlet. “You have to be exceptional at your job, which is a given, but if you’re a woman you have to look a certain way, dress a certain way and be available 24/7, because this is a President who barely sleeps. Add to that the pressure of a family at home and it’s no wonder so many of us flame out.”
Donald Trump’s White House is getting a second look right now after Leavitt announced her departure on August 12, just 27 days after returning from maternity leave for her daughter, Viviana. Since January 2026, six high-profile women in the president’s administration have left, including Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, Attorney General Pam Bondi, and Homeland Security chief Kristi Noem.
A second source told the Daily Mail that the women have a far more difficult experience than the men.
“You are expected to look a certain way. Most of the women at the White House get their hair blown out at least twice a week before work, and then there is pressure to go to the gym and dress well,” they explained. “A lot of the younger aides don’t make that much money. You’re talking maybe $50,000 to $70,000 a year.”
The insider described Donald Trump’s world as “expensive” and “stressful.”
While Leavitt expressed her gratitude for her time at the White House in an August 12 statement on X, it’s clear that the 24/7 demands of the job weighed heavily on her.
“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 wrote.
The outgoing White House Press Secretary was certainly a polarizing figure in political circles, but Leavitt’s decision to prioritize her family has also sparked a broader conversation about the personal cost of working in Donald Trump’s demanding inner circle.