Hey readers! I'm Emily Condon , a DC-based politics reporter who just joined the USA TODAY team last month. I'm a fierce New Jersey bagel defender and Yankees fan (sorry to the haters) who graduated from journalism school in 2025 from the University of Maryland, College Park (go Terps!). This is my first take at On Politics, so let's get you caught up on what's going on in Washington...
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Who might be up next for Leavitt's spot at podium? |
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Alina Habba, a former Trump lawyer, who resigned in December 2025 from her job as the U.S. Attorney for New Jersey after the 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals said she was illegally serving in the post, |
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Scott Jennings, the CNN political commentator, who was recently talked about his 17-minute chat with Sen. Mitch McConnell and once introduced himself to me, during my time as a CNN News associate, as "America's favorite punching bag," |
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Anna Kelly, the principal deputy press secretary under Leavitt, |
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Katie Miller, a podcast host, former press secretary for Vice President Mike Pence, who is married to Stephen Miller, President Donald Trump's deputy chief of staff. |
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Matthew Boyle, Washington bureau chief for the conservative outlet Breitbart, and |
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Steven Cheung, the viral Trump communications aide. |
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Read other possible contenders here. Who do you think is next? Let me know here.
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The announcement of Leavitt's exit came Trump-style, via a Truth Social post (more on Truth Social later), that said Leavitt, who just had her second child in May, wanted to spend more time with her family. In Leavitt's statement on X, she called the combination of welcoming a second child while serving as press secretary "the most rewarding yet challenging season of my life." But she isn't fully leaving politics! Leavitt also said she would continue as a presidential adviser and remain aligned with the Republican Party and Make America Great Again movement.
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Reporters raise their hands to ask questions as White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt holds a press briefing at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., July 23, 2026. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst
Jonathan Ernst, REUTERS
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Daily photo gallery: With Florida hosting its primaries next Tuesday, see what U.S. Rep. Byron Daniels is up to during August recess for his Florida governor campaign .
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Suit challenges early Truth Social access for a price |
The president's newest legal battle involves a $100,000 lawsuit over his early access plan for Truth Social. On Wednesday, The Intercept, a digital news outlet, and the press advocacy group Freedom of the Press Foundation sued Trump in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, challenging his social media app's plan to offer early access to posts for users who pay up to $100,000 a month.
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In July, the parent company for Truth Social, Trump Media & Technology Group, announced the early access plan called "Trump API", and on Aug. 10, the interim CEO of the company said that Trump API has already landed 10 subscribers, CBS News reported. The lawsuit argues the plan violates the First Amendment, calling it "extraordinary, corrupt and unconstitutional.” The groups that sued say it's unconstitutional for paid subscribers to Truth Social Trump API to get official government information before the rest of the public does.
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FILE PHOTO: U.S. President Donald Trump shows a printout of his Truth Social post as he delivers remarks to reporters in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., June 4, 2026. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst/File Photo
Jonathan Ernst, REUTERS
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On (poll)itics: Texas' Senate race is tied |
Republican Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is leading his Democratic opponent, state Rep. James Talarico, by a single percentage point – 47% to 46% – in the ruby red state, according to a new poll from Emerson College Polling/Nexstar Media released today. Other polls show the duo neck-and-neck for the Texas Senate seat that no Democrat has held since 1993. The same poll showed Republican Gov. Greg Abbott with a four-point lead over his Democratic opponent, state Rep. Gina Hinojosa.
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Emily Condon is a politics reporter for USA TODAY. You can reach her by email at econdon@usatodayco.com.
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Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and her fiancé, Riley Roberts, have reportedly ended their engagement, bringing to a close a relationship that began in college.
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The secretary of state and his wife, Jeanette, recently gave a sneak peek into their lives, preferences and diets on "The Katie Miller Podcast."
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