White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt Announces Her Maternity Leave, ‘Be Back Soon!'
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt is leaving her post. At least, temporarily. Appointed by President Donald Trump in 2024 (at the age of 27), the now-28-year-old is the youngest person to hold the job in history. Not only has she built quite a career at such a young age, but Leavitt is also about to become a mom of two.
Leavitt and husband Nicolas Riccio, 60, met in 2022. The couple got engaged one year later (in 2023) and welcomed their first child, a son named Niko, in July 2024. And yes, you did the math correctly. There is a 32-year age gap between Leavitt and Riccio.
Last year, Karoline opened up about her relationship on The Megyn Kelly Show, explaining that she met her now-husband (they tied the knot in 2025) at a mutual friend's event during her congressional campaign. Of the age difference, Leavitt said, "It's a very atypical love story, but he's incredible. He is my greatest supporter, he's my best friend, he's my rock." She explained that her husband is "fully supportive of me building my success in my career."
The Press Secretary also spoke with Kelly about Riccio as a father, saying, "He's the best dad I could ask for and so supportive, especially during this very chaotic period of my life." Leavitt opened up about parenting her first child, Niko, while working relentlessly, " It's a lot, no denying it…I had him in the midst of the presidential campaign, three days before the President almost lost his life in Butler, Pennsylvania…it was my first day home from the hospital with him, and it kind of threw me right back to work much sooner than I probably would have expected or hoped. But becoming a mother in the midst of this very chaotic political world that I work in has been the best thing I could have ever imagined because it gives you great perspective, and it humbles you."
So how does Leavitt handle working and raising her son? She told Kelly, "It's a difficult balance to prioritize being good at my job and being good as a mother, but I just try to prioritize my time and carve out that time when I can, and I'm so grateful to have the support system I do. A great husband who can be very present with our child, and then of course a wonderful mother and father and friends who chip in when I need them."
Now the White House Press Secretary is about to become a mom again, and recently announced her maternity leave. Leavitt wrote, in an Instagram post, "When my husband and I found out we are expecting another child, my first thought was overwhelming gratitude and joy." Of course, as any parent knows, having two children close in age and working a demanding full-time job isn't exactly easy. Karoline continued, "My second thought was "how the heck am I going to do this job, with a toddler, and while pregnant? Well, 39 weeks later and we did it. Be back soon!"
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This story was originally published April 25, 2026 at 1:21 PM.