Karoline Leavitt is stepping down as White House press secretary. Here’s what to know about her life and career.

• Karoline Leavitt, 28, is the youngest-ever White House press secretary.
• She worked for Kayleigh McEnany and Rep. Elise Stefanik before joining Donald Trump’s 2024 campaign.
• She is married to 60-year-old real-estate developer Nicholas Riccio, and they have two children.

In 2024, she joined Trump’s presidential campaign as his national press secretary.

Trump maintained his innocence throughout the trial and often referred to it as a “witch hunt.”

Four days after giving birth, Leavitt returned to work when Trump survived an assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania, in July 2024.

Leavitt had a TV studio built in her home so that she could appear on television shortly after giving birth.

“I felt compelled to be present in this historic moment,” she told The Conservateur. “The president literally put his life on the line to win this election. The least I could do is get back to work quickly.”

After Trump won the 2024 election, he appointed Leavitt as the youngest-ever White House press secretary.

As press secretary, Leavitt established a “new media seat” in the White House briefing room reserved for podcasters, social media influencers, and other independent content creators who, “despite being some of the most viewed news websites in the country, have not been given seats in this room,” she said at a briefing.

Leavitt is married to 60-year-old Nicholas Riccio, who is more than twice her age.

Leavitt was introduced to Riccio, a real-estate developer, at a campaign event by a mutual friend during her 2022 run for Congress.

They announced their engagement on Christmas in 2023 and welcomed a son, Niko, on July 10, 2024.

Leavitt and Riccio wed on January 4, 2025, days before Trump’s second inauguration.

The couple shares a 2-year-old son, Niko, and welcomed a daughter, Viviana, in May.

In December 2025, Leavitt announced that she and Riccio were expecting a baby girl, making her the first-ever pregnant White House press secretary.

“My husband and I are thrilled to grow our family and can’t wait to watch our son become a big brother,” she wrote in an Instagram post.

Leavitt gave birth to a daughter, Viviana, on May 1.

“She is perfect and healthy, and her big brother is joyfully adjusting to life with his new baby sister,” Leavitt wrote on Instagram. “We are enjoying every moment in our blissful newborn bubble.”

She has described their age-gap marriage as “a very atypical love story.”

Leavitt spoke about their 32-year age gap in a February 2025 interview on The Megyn Kelly Show.

“I mean, it’s a very atypical love story, but he’s incredible,” she said of Riccio, adding, “He’s the father of my child, and he’s the best dad I could ever ask for. And he is so supportive, especially during a very chaotic period of life.”

In a November 2025 interview with Miranda Devine on the podcast “Pod Force One,” Leavitt spoke about her parents’ reaction to her “unusual” relationship with Riccio, who is older than her mother.

“It’s definitely a challenging conversation to have at first,” she said. “But then, of course, once they got to know him and saw who he is as a man and his character and how much he adores me, I think it became quite easy for them.”

On Wednesday, Leavitt announced her departure as White House press secretary, citing her desire to spend more time with her family.

“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,” Leavitt wrote in a statement posted to X.

In a Truth Social post, Trump called Leavitt “one of my most trusted aides” and said her departure was “a decision I totally understand and respect!”

Leavitt, who will leave the role at the end of August, will continue to serve as a top outside advisor, the president wrote.