Karoline Leavitt returning to White House at crucial juncture for Trump
EXCLUSIVE — White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt is in the midst of returning from maternity leave following the birth of her second child, with administration officials discussing potentially holding her first briefing back behind the podium as soon as next week.
Leavitt, the youngest White House press secretary in history, started her leave in April. A source familiar with the situation told the Washington Examiner that Leavitt is not fully back from leave yet and is assisting the White House press office this week.
“Her official return to the podium is still up in the air, but it could be as early as next week,” that person said, noting that Leavitt will travel with President Donald Trump on Tuesday afternoon to Pennsylvania, where the president is slated to deliver economic remarks at a Mack Trucks facility.
Leavitt emerged early into Trump’s second term as his most trusted, daily messenger. Since the spring, a rotating cast of senior administration officials has taken turns filling in for Leavitt at White House press briefings. Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Mehmet Oz have all filled in during briefings, which have occurred with lesser frequency than during Leavitt’s tenure.
The press secretary’s return to the White House comes at a critical time for the president.
Trump’s approval rating is 17 points underwater, according to the RealClearPolitics polling aggregate, and public perceptions of his economic stewardship have sunk even lower. Meanwhile, the president’s memorandum of understanding with Iran has opened foreign policy fractures within his 2024 coalition.
The White House has waved off concerns from some Republicans about the party’s footing heading into the 2026 midterm elections.
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“Pundits and armchair experts have written President Trump off dozens of times, only for him to come back stronger than ever before,” White House spokesman Kush Desai told the Washington Examiner in a statement. “President Trump has survived multiple assassination attempts, political persecution, and coordinated deplatforming – he isn’t going to stop fighting for the American people anytime soon.”
White House officials additionally told the Washington Examiner on Monday that “President Trump has assembled the most talented team in history who continue to do a great job making America great again.”
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