The West Wing lost another key player on Friday, August 14, 2026, with Andy Baker — at 46, the deputy national security adviser — confirming his exit from the administration in the coming weeks. His announcement marks the second major figure to resign in less than a week, adding to the steady exodus that has drained President Donald Trump’s inner circle throughout his second term.
Leavitt’s Exit Sets the Stage
Just days before Baker’s announcement, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, 28, resigned from her position. She pointed to the challenges of raising her two young children while managing the job’s relentless demands, explaining she could no longer “be the best mom my two young children deserve while devoting the constant time, energy, and attention required of the White House Press Secretary.” The consecutive exits from two prominent administration officials have raised questions about staff retention as the 80-year-old president faces a challenging midterm election season.
A Quiet Force in National Security
While Baker maintained a low media presence, his influence on foreign policy in Trump’s second administration ran deep. He “emerged as a key figure” in the orbit of Vice President JD Vance, playing an outsize role in both the vice president’s strategic thinking on international affairs and critical national security choices. His involvement extended to high-stakes moments: he stood in the Situation Room in June 2025 as Iranian nuclear enrichment sites were bombed, traveled to the Munich Security Conference in February 2026 with Vice President Vance, and sat at the negotiating table on Ukraine alongside Secretary of State Marco Rubio, joining diplomatic troubleshooter Steve Witkoff, Defense Department official Daniel Driscoll, and the president’s son-in-law Jared Kushner in those discussions.
Someone familiar with Baker’s thinking said he postponed leaving by several months to guarantee an orderly transition to those replacing him. Cliff Sims, who took over as Vice President Vance’s national security adviser earlier this summer, will keep that position, and Mike Needham will stay on as White House deputy national security adviser. Baker plans to move into the private sector with Robert O’Brien, who held the position of President Trump’s fourth national security adviser during the first term.
Baker expressed satisfaction with the administration’s achievements and thanked the president, vice president, and Secretary Rubio for allowing him to serve. Senior officials immediately offered tributes. Vice President Vance described Baker as “an exceptionally gifted, deeply thoughtful advisor” who had served “with distinction” and as “an indispensable member” of the national security team. Secretary of State Rubio characterized Baker as “an invaluable asset” who “greatly advanced the America First agenda,” while Needham praised him as “a brilliant foreign policy mind and close friend” and Witkoff said Baker had “worked tirelessly to put America first and get deals done for the President around the world.”
A Pattern of Departures
The two recent resignations continue a broader trend of turnover. Recent months have witnessed a string of departures from the Trump White House across communications, press operations, and policy offices. In late July 2026, Deputy Press Secretary Abigail Jackson, 29, announced she was leaving her $121,500-a-year role for OnMessage Public Strategies, a political strategy firm. Jackson, who joined the White House press operation in March 2025 after working as communications director for Republican Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri, finished her final day on Aug. 7. White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller praised Jackson as “a communications powerhouse, demonstrating at all times the highest degree of tenacity, integrity, professionalism and talent.”
White House Director of Cabinet Affairs Lea Bardon left in April 2026 to take a position as an executive vice president with The Sovereign Advisors, a public affairs company located in the nation’s capital. She had overseen Cabinet affairs, speechwriting, and communications as a pivotal voice in shaping the administration’s public messaging. Shortly after Bardon’s departure, Sonny Joy Nelson — a special assistant to Trump serving as director of media affairs who had worked on his communications team since his 2024 presidential campaign and in various roles since 2020 — announced she was stepping down to start Cornerstone Strategics, a media booking and communications consultancy. Alex Pfeiffer, a senior communications staffer, had already departed in September 2025 after approximately nine months on the job.