Karoline Leavitt reveals devastating impact her job as Trump's press secretary had on her life

Karoline Leavitt has said she could not be the mother her children deserve while working as White House press secretary, the post she left at the end of August.

The 29-year-old, who gave birth to her daughter Viviana in May, returned to work in June before stepping down two months later, as reported by The US Sun.

Explaining her decision in August, she said: "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," she added.

She has since gone back to New Hampshire with Viviana, her two-year-old son Niko and her 61-year old husband, Nicholas Riccio.

On Wednesday, Leavitt invited her Instagram followers to send in questions.

Asked what advice she would give girls in age-gap relationships, she replied: 'forget the haters and follow your heart!'.

"Marrying this man was the best decision I ever made," she wrote alongside a photo of the pair.

Riccio, who has a multimillion-dollar real estate business, is 32 years older than Leavitt. The couple married in January 2025, just days before President Donald Trump's second inauguration, having met in 2022 while she was campaigning for Congress.

What is Karoline Leavitt doing now?

Leavitt is due to start a new role as on-air contributor on Fox News on November 1, and said she 'will continue making appearances on various shows!'

"I have a couple of other projects I am working on," she teased. "But mainly, I am staying home and doing a whole lot of this!"

Kate Zacharia, a conservative commentated on Fox news and a former Truth Social employee, was selected to take over the role. Leavitt congratulated her on taking on 'one of the most challenging yet fun jobs on the planet'.

"As I told the President, Katie has my full support and I will be cheering for her and the entire team at the White House every day," she said.

Zacharia, a mom of four, held her first press briefing on Tuesday, where she said Leavitt had given her advice on balancing the job with motherhood.

"Karoline has been an incredible support. She gave me great and wonderful feedback on how to balance," she told reporters.