Karoline Leavitt Steps Down as Press Secretary to Focus on Motherhood

Karoline Leavitt, the 28-year-old White House press secretary who became famous for standing up to hostile reporters and defending President Trump without flinching, announced Wednesday she is leaving her post to focus on being a mother to her two children under age three.

Leavitt, the youngest person ever to hold the position and the second-longest serving Trump press secretary behind Sarah Huckabee Sanders, posted her decision on X. “Most of all, I am thankful to the President for entrusting me with the distinct privilege of speaking on his behalf at the White House podium,” she wrote. “I have spoken with great pride about the many historic accomplishments of this Administration, and I have relished holding the liberal media accountable and ensuring the American people hear the truth about President Trump’s successes.”

But her heart was pulling her in another direction. “Being a mother and welcoming a new baby while working in one of the most demanding jobs in the world has been the most rewarding yet challenging season of my life,” Leavitt admitted. “The truth is, since returning to the White House after the birth of my daughter, I have felt in my heart that I cannot be the best mom my two young children deserve while devoting the constant time, energy, and attention required of the White House Press Secretary.”

Leavitt and her husband have two children: Nicholas “Niko” Riccio, born in July 2024, and Viviana “Vivi” Riccio, born in May 2026. She will step down at the end of August and will remain a close confidant and senior advisor to President Trump.

Leavitt is vocal about her Christian faith. She wore a signature cross necklace during briefings and told CBN News that faith is “the most important thing in her life.” Video of her praying before stepping into the briefing room went viral. “I ask God for confidence and the ability to articulate my words, knowledge, prayer, protection,” she explained.

Joy Stockbauer, director of the Center for Human Dignity at Family Research Council, praised Leavitt’s decision. “As a fellow mom in my 20s, I’m so happy for Karoline as she makes this decision to recenter which areas of her life need her attention most at the moment,” she told The Washington Stand. “Women too often end up caught between a rock and a hard place, criticized for abandoning their aspirations if they stay home for a time, or criticized as ‘bad moms’ if they choose to work.”

Her resignation stands in stark contrast to progressive women like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who this week began chronicling her IVF treatment online as she delays motherhood.

Leavitt told CBN News, “God has a plan for everyone. I believe that firmly. You just have to trust the process and trust that He’s working in your life, and stay grounded in your faith throughout the way.”

This is what correctly ordered priorities look like. God first, family second, career third. The culture will tell young women that walking away from the White House briefing room is a failure. Leavitt knows better. She stood in front of the most powerful press corps in the world and never blinked. Now she’s walking away from that spotlight to raise her children, and that takes even more courage. That’s not retreat; that’s victory.

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