D.Trump to Give Press Briefings While K. Leavitt on Maternity Leave
- Leavitt is going on maternity leave, with Trump and other officials handling press briefings in her absence
- No formal replacement, but a rotating team of White House communications staff will fill in
- Leavitt says the 24/7 news cycle and lack of sleep are challenging aspects of her high-stress job
Karoline Leavitt is heading out on maternity leave, and Donald Trump will be stepping in to give some of his own press briefings.
At the end of a press gaggle outside on Friday, Leavitt addressed the fact that she would be heading out on maternity leave shortly, and that the day’s conversation with the press was likely her last for a while. She assured reporters that, since they had access to Trump’s phone, they likely would not need her department much while she was away.
“This will likely be my last gaggle for some time,” Leavitt said. “As you can see, I’m about ready to have a baby any minute, so I’ll see you guys very soon.”
She added: “I know all of you have the president’s phone number personally, so I have no doubt that you will have a shortage of statements and news from this building while I’m gone.”
Trump to give press briefings during Leavitt’s leave
The White House communications team has organized a rotating roster including Donald Trump and various officials to handle press briefings in Karoline Leavitt’s absence. Observers note this move gives Trump more direct access to the press briefing room.
Rotating team to fillinn for Karoline Leavitt during maternity leave
According to a Politico report, which was later retweeted by Leavitt’s own social media account, there are no plans for a formal replacement once the press secretary goes on leave. While nobody will be filling in an official capacity, the comms department will be manned by a host of people, including Steven Cheung and Leavitt’s team of Pat Adams, Anna Kelly, Kush Desai, Abigail Jackson, Liz Huston, Taylor Rogers, Davis Ingle, Allison Schuster, Olivia Wales, Micah Stopperich, Ellie Acra, Georgia O’Neil and Kieghan Nangle.
The faces behind the actual podium for briefings will include Trump, as well as Vice President JD Vance and other Cabinet officials.
Leavitt is likely looking forward to the time away from the stressful job. Earlier in April, the press secretary explained to Erika Kirk at a Turning Point USA event just how little sleep she got because of her work.
“I’ll make the mistake of being awake at 3 a.m. and reading through some of the stories,” she said. “And my brain’s going … My adrenaline’s going. And my team knows, I see my assistant in the front row, she’s smirking because they’ll wake up to the group chat and I send texts between the hours of like, 2 and 4 a.m. every night.”
Leavitt added: “And I’m like, ‘We need to call this reporter in the morning. This is not true. We need to correct this. Put this statement in this story.’ So, it’s just constant. It’s a 24/7 news cycle we live in.”
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