White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt has opened up about her “bittersweet” decision to step down from her prominent role in President Donald Trump‘s administration—admitting that her two children “need” her to be home more than her job currently allows her to be.
Leavitt, 29, shares two children with her husband, Nicholas Riccio, 61: son Niko, 2, and daughter Viviana, who was born in May.
The mother of two, who is the youngest press secretary in White House history, announced in August that she would be leaving her role, with President Trump sharing the news in a post on his Truth Social account, explaining that Leavitt wanted to be more present as a mother.
Now, Leavitt has shed more light on that decision, telling “Fox & Friends” hosts Ainsley Eahardt, Brian Kilmeade, and Lawrence Jones, that her children are at a “critical age” where they need to be able to spend more time with her at home.
“It’s time for me to take a step back so I can spend more time with my two beautiful children, of course I have a 2-year-old and a 4-month-old,” she said during her final interview as Trump’s press secretary.
“They’re just at a critical time in their life where they need their mom home a little bit more, so I look forward to spending more time with them.”
Leavitt, who wed her husband in January 2025, two days before Trump’s inauguration, is expected to officially step down from her job on Aug. 28.
Speaking to the Fox News program from outside of the White House, Leavitt took the chance to praise Trump for his unwavering support, describing him as a one-of-a-kind president whom she has been honored to serve.
“I’m feeling good [but] of course It’s a little bit bittersweet,” she said of her decision to leave her job. “It’s bitter because I’m leaving a job that I love so very much, and it’s been the honor and blessing of a lifetime to work for this president, President Trump. There will never be another like him.
“To serve as his spokesperson behind that podium, it has been the adventure of a lifetime and I am so grateful to him for believing in me and allowing me to serve in this role over the last 20 months. And now for being understanding as a boss and a friend.”
Leavitt’s departure from the White House was originally announced by Trump on Aug. 12, when he revealed on Truth Social that he “fully understands” her decision—noting that she will continue to support his administration through an external position.
The mother of two later shed some more light on that role, telling reporters during her final flight aboard Air Force One that she will return to his super PAC, MAGA, Inc. when she steps down from her White House job.
It’s unclear exactly what job title Leavitt will take on—however she explained to Fox News that the position will enable her to enjoy a more balanced lifestyle between her professional and personal responsibilities.
“I look forward … to continuing to serve the president as a top advisor on the outside [and] I’m grateful to him that he still wants me to stick around, just in a way that I can spend more time with family,” she said.
When Trump announced Leavitt’s impending departure, he did not give a specific date for her final day, however her interview on Fox News suggests that she will finish the week and depart on Aug. 28.
He did, however, make clear that she would continue to play a key role in his work, writing: “Karoline will now be one of my top outside advisors, and an influential voice within the Republican Party, as we work to defy History, and conclusively win the Midterm Elections.
“Karoline has been a real leader in the White House, and has done a phenomenal job fighting for Justice, Liberty, and Freedom, since 2018, including our Historic Re-Election Campaign of 2024.
“Karoline has been one of the best White House Press Secretaries in the History of the Office. Thank you, Karoline, for a job well done! President DONALD J. TRUMP.”
In a statement posted on her X account, Leavitt shared some insight into her decision, explaining that balancing her role as a mother with “one of the most demanding jobs in the world” has been both “rewarding” and “challenging.”
She added that, since returning to the White House from maternity leave, she has realized that she cannot fully commit herself to being the mother that her children “deserve,” while also giving the job her all.
“Serving as the White House Press Secretary over the past year and a half has been the honor and adventure of a lifetime,” she began.
“I am incredibly grateful to President Trump for granting me so many extraordinary opportunities, such as working in the West Wing and spending countless hours in the Oval Office, flying around the world and meeting foreign leaders, and traveling across our beautiful country and meeting Americans from all walks of life.”
She then expressed her gratitude to the president for trusting her to take on such a prominent position, before noting: “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, to say the least.
“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—and that is why I have ultimately made the bittersweet decision to depart the White House and embark on a new chapter in my life.”
Echoing Trump, she made clear her intention to continue working with him as an outside adviser, before offering thanks to the president, first lady Melania Trump, and chief of staff Susie Wiles, as well as the other members of the administration.
Finally, she paid tribute to her husband and her family for enabling her to do the job.
“Thank you most especially to my loving and supportive husband and family for the sacrifices they made for me to serve in this role,” she said.
Leavitt has been in the job since Trump returned to 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. following the 2024 election.
Previously, she served as the official spokesperson for his presidential campaign.
She is widely known as one of the most trusted members of the president’s inner circle and has become synonymous with his administration due to her White House press briefings, which have earned dozens of headlines over the past two years.
However, Leavitt has previously admitted that her job, though rewarding, does take a toll on her life at home, while praising Riccio for taking on parenting duties whenever she needs to be at work.
In June, soon after her return to work, the mother of two explained during an appearance on “Fox & Friends” that her husband had stayed up with their daughter the previous night to ensure that she got plenty of rest before her early-morning TV gig.
Having been introduced by host Earhardt, who described the mother of two as the “hardest working mom in the United States of America,” Leavitt proceeded to gush about her partner—and her family of four.
“Baby’s good, she’s perfect,” she began. “I was telling y’all before we joined that my husband watched her overnight last night so I could get some sleep, so I know what I’m talking about this morning. So I’m feeling good.”
After Earhardt noted that having a baby girl is “so special,” Leavitt added: “She’s a sweetheart, and her big brother is doing well, too. She’ll be 2 months this week, and he’ll be 2 this week as well. I can’t believe I have two under 2.”
Leavitt announced the arrival of her daughter in a sweet Instagram post on May 7, in which she could be seen cradling the baby while standing in her pink nursery.
“On May 1st, Viviana aka ‘Vivi’ joined our family, and our hearts instantly exploded with love,” she wrote alongside the sweet snap, which featured Leavitt sporting a pink sweater to match the decor of the space.
“She is perfect and healthy, and her big brother is joyfully adjusting to life with his new baby sister. We are enjoying every moment in our blissful newborn bubble.
“Thank you to everyone who reached out with prayers during my pregnancy—I truly felt them throughout the entire experience. God is Good.”
During her maternity leave, Leavitt shared several online updates, including a heartfelt Mother’s Day post in which she could be seen posing with her daughter and her mom on the terrace at her DC-area abode, where she and her husband have been living with their kids since the start of Trump’s second term.
However, she revealed in a June 8 post that she and her family had spent at least some of the month of May in her native New Hampshire, where they had a chance to visit the local beaches and spend time with loved ones.
Leavitt and Riccio are both from New Hampshire—where he owns a successful real estate investment business—and were living there when they met. While they still own a property there, they also snapped up a DC residence so that Leavitt could be closer to the White House.
It is unclear whether Leavitt and Riccio will now move back to New Hampshire permanently, or if they will continue to maintain a residence in DC.
The press secretary has previously opened up about her struggle to maintain a balance between her home life and her professional obligations, admitting in a November 2025 interview with the Daily Mail that she had “PTSD about making plans” because she’d had to cancel so many date nights with her husband.
“Honestly, I have PTSD about making plans, so I just don’t,” she said. “We just roll with it. If there’s a night where I happen to become free, then we take full advantage of that as a family.”
She admitted that she and Riccio had been forced to cancel three “mini weekend getaway vacations” last summer because of “foreign policy events,” although she did not specify which events those were.
“But that’s part of the job, and it’s what makes it fun and challenging and keeps every day new,” she added. “And it’s, you know, it’s temporary. We’re one year down. We got three to go.”
And while her dating life with her husband may have suffered as a result of her job, she insisted that Trump and her other bosses at the White House have made sure that she is able to prioritize her role as a mother, no matter what else is going on at work.
“My priority is to always make it home for my kids’ bedtime,” she said. “I leave at a more reasonable hour than people may think, because that’s sort of the line I’ve drawn to get home and cook dinner and go through the bedtime routine and be a mom.”
Leavitt also lifted the lid on the other aspects of her daily routine, telling the publication that she usually began her press briefings at 5 a.m., although she was finding time thrice weekly for a 5:30 a.m. workout, which usually involved a weight-lifting session in the White House gym.
From there, she would move to her office, where she’d comb through the morning’s newspapers, while watching ongoing coverage on all the major news networks, noting that she focused her efforts largely on Fox News, MSNBC, and CNN.
Daily check-ins with the president are also an essential part of her day, helping to shape the narrative that she then shares with the world’s media from the White House briefing room.
On her rare days off, Leavitt said she focused on spending time with her husband and son at their home in Northern Virginia, and also attending church, noting that “faith is at the center of our home and our marriage and raising a child.”
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