White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt bid farewell to reporters on April 24 as she prepares to go on maternity leave.
"This will likely be my last gaggle for some time. As you can see," she said, glancing down at herself, "I'm about ready to have a baby any minute, so I will see you guys very soon."
Leavitt, 28, announced shortly after Christmas that she was having a baby girl, her second child, due in May. She also said she would see the reporters at White House Correspondents' Association dinner on April 25.
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"I know you'll be in very good hands with my team here at the White House, and I know all of you have the president's phone number personally," she joked. Reporting last month from The Atlantic found President Donald Trump's phone number was traded among journalists, and Semafor called it "the worst-kept secret in Washington."
When is Karoline Leavitt due?
Leavitt announced she was having a baby girl due in May in an Instagram post.
"I am also extremely grateful to President Trump and our Chief of Staff Susie Wiles for their support, and for fostering a pro-family environment in the White House," she said in the December post.
Leavitt is one of Trump's most visible advisers and the youngest White House press secretary ever. She worked as a campaign spokesperson for Trump and gave birth to her first child during the campaign on July 10, 2024. She discussed returning to the job just four days after giving birth on "The Megyn Kelly Show" in February 2025, saying, "(The July 13, 2024, assassination attempt) kind of threw me right back to work much sooner than I would have probably expected or hoped."
It is unclear how long Leavitt will be out on leave, but she is expected to return to the podium as she told reporters on April 24, "see you guys very soon." In the meantime, no one will take over for Leavitt, but rather, various administration officials will fill in at the lectern to brief the press. Politico reported that it could include Cabinet members, Vice President JD Vance, or even Trump himself.
Contributing: Zac Anderson, Saman Shafiq, USA TODAY
Kinsey Crowley is the Trump Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Reach her at KCrowley@usatodayco.com. Follow her on X (Twitter), Threads, Bluesky and TikTok.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Karoline Leavitt, having a baby 'any minute,' preps for White House leave
