Karoline Leavitt is opening up about the emotional toll of her White House tenure and the relief of being home with her young children.
The former Trump administration press secretary, 29, stepped down in August to focus on her family, including her two young children and newborn daughter. In a statement at the time, she described the job as “the most rewarding yet challenging season of my life, to say the least.”
“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,” she wrote. “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’s new chapter has included simple pleasures she previously missed. Earlier this week, she posted a photograph of her son, Niko, enjoying the beach to her Instagram Stories. “Ocean walks on a Monday afternoon,” she captioned the post. “A reminder of how blessed I am to be home every day with my babies.”
The contrast with her former life was stark. “I remember how it felt leaving them to work in the office every day, wondering how they were doing and rushing to get home,” she continued. “Now I don’t take a moment for granted.”
Her departure came with a continuing role in Trump’s orbit. “President Trump has asked me to continue serving as a top advisor to him on the outside,” she noted in her August statement, “and I will always remain a vocal advocate for MAGA and the Republican Party.”
That advisory role has included weighing in on personnel matters. Leavitt recently spoke about her successor, Katie Zacharia, who lasted only days in the position. She claimed Zacharia was not the right fit and emphasized that being the president’s spokesperson “takes a lot of preparation and sometimes you don’t know how someone will perform until they go out there.”
“We wish Katie the best,” Leavitt added. “The job obviously was not for her, but we wish her and her family well.”
The search for Zacharia’s replacement continues, with Leavitt saying she is assisting Trump in the process. No announcement is expected until after next week’s midterm elections.