White House Press Secretary Set to Go on Leave Ahead of Birth of 2nd Child

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt announced Friday her temporary departure from the position for maternity leave.

Leavitt told reporters it would likely be her last time speaking to them for a while, as she’s about to give birth to her second child.

“This will likely be my last gaggle for some time,” the 28-year-old press secretary said. “As you can see, I’m about ready to have a baby any minute, so I’ll see you guys very soon.”

She added that she was confident reporters would still be able to obtain the news in her absence with her team on the job.

“I know all of you have the president’s phone number personally, so I have no doubt that you will have no shortage of statements and news from this building while I’m gone.”

Leavitt shared an update from Politico White House bureau chief Dasha Burns, stating that Leavitt would return to the podium after maternity leave.

The report stated that it’s still unclear how many weeks she will take.

“No one will be filling in for Leavitt formally during her leave—but the comms shop is planning to have some familiar face at the podium to brief the press.”

According to the information shared by Leavitt, that will include Vice President JD Vance, Cabinet officials, “or even [President Donald ] Trump himself.

“In the meantime, the White House press shop will be managed by White House comms director Steven Chung and Leavitt’s team.”

Leavitt takes her leave while the United States is in the midst of peace talks with Iran following weeks of armed conflict in the Middle East.

The current press secretary is the youngest person ever to hold the position. She was previously the assistant press secretary from 2019 to 2021 during Trump’s first term.

She interned at Fox News during the 2016 presidential election while still a student at Saint Anselm College in New Hampshire, where she attended on a softball scholarship.

During her time in school, she wrote an article for The Saint Anselm Crier, critical of the “liberal media,” which she called “unjust, unfair, and sometimes just plain old false.”

“It’s vital that Americans educate themselves on the latest news by checking into all news stations; but more importantly seeing the reality that is buried beneath biases and special interests,” Leavitt said at the time. “If so, people may just see things from a whole new perspective.”

In 2024, when appointing Leavitt as press secretary, Trump said, “Karoline is smart, tough, and has proven to be a highly effective communicator.”