The White House press office will soon have an extra little helper.
Press secretary Karoline Leavitt announced Friday that she and her husband are expecting their second child in May of next year, calling it the “greatest Christmas gift we could ever ask for.”
“My husband and I are thrilled to grow our family and can’t wait to watch our son become a big brother,” the New Hampshire native wrote on Instagram. “My heart is overflowing with gratitude to God for the blessing of motherhood, which I truly believe is the closest thing to Heaven on Earth.”
Leavitt, 28, welcomed son Niko with husband Nicholas Riccio, 60, on July 10, 2024.
The New Hampshire native, known for her frequent TV interviews and fiery briefing-room defenses of her boss, is the country’s first pregnant press secretary.
Leavitt became Trump’s top spokesperson after working as a lower-level aide during his first term and then running for Congress in 2022.
She is a key adviser and trusted voice for the president, who has showered her with praise, referring to her as “our great Karoline superstar” during a meeting last month with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, where Trump unexpectedly called upon her to offer up a defense of his economic performance.
“Karoline, the prime minister would like you to work for him in Hungary,” Trump gushed over her off-the-cuff delivery, adding, “please don’t leave us, Karoline!”
Many other recent press secretaries have done the job with young children, despite holding one of the most demanding roles in Washington.
Both of former President Joe Biden’s press secretaries — Jen Psaki and Karine Jean-Pierre — are mothers.
The final press secretary of Trump’s first term, Kayleigh McEnany, gave birth to her daughter Blake about four months before she started the job in April 2020.
