United States: Karoline Leavitt, White House spokesperson, announces her departure for maternity leave

Karoline Leavitt, youngest Press Secretary of the White House, set to go on maternity leave

Is there a baby on the way at the White House? White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt announced on Friday that she was about to go on maternity leave to welcome her second child. “This will certainly be my last press briefing for a while,” she said in an exchange with journalists.

“As you can see, I will have a baby any minute now. I know you will be in very good hands with my team here at the White House and I know you all have the president’s personal number,” she joked, hands on her rounded belly.

The American executive branch has not appointed a replacement. According to reports, senior officials such as Vice President J.D. Vance may hold occasional press conferences in her place. The White House has not disclosed the length of her leave.

Specialist in attacks against the press

Karoline Leavitt (28) is the youngest person ever appointed to the position of “Press Secretary” at the White House. In 2024, she returned to work for Donald Trump’s campaign team shortly after the birth of her first child. Her return was expedited by the assassination attempt on the Republican candidate on July 13, 2024.

Married to Nicholas Riccio, a real estate developer, she has become a specialist in turning tough questions into diatribes against the press or the Democratic opposition. But her confidence and praise of the president’s actions have not prevented Donald Trump’s approval rating from declining in recent months.