Leavitt Abruptly Quits After Brag She Is Mom Who Does It All
The outgoing press secretary admits that the “constant time, energy, and attention” required at the White House took a toll.
Evan Vucci/REUTERS
Karoline Leavitt’s shocking departure from the White House to spend more time with her kids comes shortly after she spoke of the president “empowering” young mothers to have both a career and family.
Leavitt, a 28-year-old mother of two, appeared to admit that it was more difficult than she’d previously let on in a statement explaining her decision on Wednesday. After giving birth to her daughter in May, she said, she realized that she could not “be the best mom my two young children deserve while devoting the constant time, energy, and attention required of the White House Press Secretary.”

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt participates in a television interview outside the White House on December 16, 2025 in Washington, DC.
Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images
In an appearance on Fox News two weeks earlier, Leavitt had praised the administration for fostering a healthy work-life balance for young families, saying that while she really had to prioritize, Trump “makes it easy.”
“I just try to take it one day at a time and say, ‘Okay, what time can I carve out for my children today? When do they need me? And then maybe during nap time is when I’m really putting in the work here at the office, and then, you know, trying to get home early when I can,“ she said.
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She added that she was “very grateful to the president for understanding that and for empowering so many working mothers and parents at the White House.”

My View with Lara Trump/ Fox News
When asked by Fox News host Lara Trump what her message would be to women who might look to her as proof that they can “have it all,” Leavitt said she viewed her role as an act of public service.
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“I realize it’s temporary; President Trump is only here in D.C. for four years. It’s a small sacrifice in respect to my children’s entire lives, if you will. But it does come with a lot of prioritization,” she admitted at the time.
Trump announced via Truth Social that Leavitt would leave her role at the end of the month “so she can spend more time with her beautiful young children and family, a decision I totally understand and respect!” He said she would now be moving into a new role as an “outside advisor” to “work to defy History, and conclusively win the Midterm Elections.”

@realDonaldTrump/Truth Social
Leavitt has made being a working mom a pillar of her time in the Trump administration.
She returned to work just four days after giving birth to her son, working as the president’s press secretary during his 2024 campaign after an assassination attempt.
She had championed the idea of being a working mom, sharing an article from The Wall Street Journal in 2025 on conservative working moms, saying, “Love this.”
“Great read for any young woman wondering how to balance a career and a family. The truth is you can do both. And having a family will make everything sweeter!” she posted at the time.
That was before the White House had become embroiled in controversy over Trump’s war in Iran, however, along with the soaring prices on gas that came with it, all in the run-up to what is on track to be a bruising midterm elections season.

Leavitt has brought her son to several White House events.
Anadolu/Anadolu via Getty Images
Her fellow conservatives have gushed over Leavitt’s work ethic. Upon returning from maternity leave after giving birth to her daughter, Fox News host Ainsley Earhardt described Leavitt as the “hardest working mom in the United States of America” during her TV hit.
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