Karoline Leavitt landed a White House internship arsenic a assemblage student during President Donald Trump's first term. In his second term, she served arsenic the youngest-ever White House property caput earlier announcing her departure connected Wednesday.
A erstwhile assemblage jock who spent her summers scooping crystal pick successful New Hampshire, Leavitt, 28, quickly roseate done the ranks of Republican authorities done communications jobs pinch erstwhile White House property caput Kayleigh McEnany and Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik.
During her tenure arsenic the 2024 Trump campaign's nationalist property secretary, she traveled the state while pregnant and returned to activity 4 days aft giving commencement to her son.
Leavitt has besides acknowledged her "atypical emotion story" pinch hubby Nicholas Riccio, a 60-year-old real-estate developer. The mates welcomed their 2nd child, a daughter, successful May.
In August, Leavitt announced that she would beryllium leaving her domiciled arsenic Trump's White House property caput astatine the extremity of the month, penning connected X, "Being a mother and welcoming a caller babe while moving successful 1 of the astir demanding jobs successful the world has been the astir rewarding yet challenging play of my life, to opportunity the least."
Here's what to cognize astir Leavitt's background, family, and career.
The White House Press Office did not respond to a petition for comment.
Karoline Leavitt grew up successful Atkinson, New Hampshire, and went to a Catholic precocious school.
Leavitt's parents owned an crystal pick guidelines wherever she worked during the summers.
She attended Central Catholic High School successful Lawrence, Massachusetts.
"Having a Catholic acquisition really formed who I am," she said connected an section of The Catholic Current podcast successful 2021.
She continued, "It taught maine discipline, it brought maine person successful my ain narration pinch God, and it besides taught maine the value of nationalist work and giving backmost to your community."
She graduated from Saint Anselm College successful 2019 pinch a grade successful authorities and communication.
Leavitt was admitted to Saint Anselm College connected a softball danasiwa and played arsenic an outfielder connected the women's softball team, the Saint Anselm Hawks.
Leavitt's extra-curricular activities included founding the Saint Anselm Broadcasting Club, volunteering astatine the New Hampshire Institute of Politics, and penning articles for the assemblage newspaper, The Saint Anselm Crier, defending Trump's recreation prohibition and criticizing the "liberal media." She besides spent a semester studying overseas astatine John Cabot University successful Rome.
In 2018, she interned astatine the White House during Trump's first presidency arsenic a statesmanlike writer successful the White House Office of Presidential Correspondence.
She was the first personnel of her family to gain an undergraduate degree.
After graduating, she worked pinch then-press caput Kayleigh McEnany successful the White House Press Office.
From 2019 to 2021, Leavitt worked arsenic an adjunct property secretary, helping McEnany hole for briefings.
When Trump near agency successful 2021, Leavitt took a occupation arsenic Rep. Elise Stefanik's head of communications.
Stefanik served arsenic the House Republican Conference Chair from 2021 to 2025.
Leavitt ran for Congress successful New Hampshire's 1st legislature territory successful 2022.
"I could nary longer beryllium backmost and watch arsenic our blimpish principles — that make America the top state successful the world and New Hampshire the champion authorities successful the national — autumn nether attack," Leavitt wrote connected her campaign website of her determination to tally for office.
Leavitt won the Republican superior but mislaid the wide predetermination to the Democratic incumbent, Rep. Chris Pappas, who is the first openly cheery man to correspond New Hampshire successful Congress.
In 2024, she joined Trump's statesmanlike run arsenic his nationalist property secretary.
Leavitt held property conferences extracurricular Manhattan Criminal Court during Trump's hush-money trial. Trump was recovered blameworthy connected each 34 felony counts, but was not sentenced pinch immoderate reward owed to the US Supreme Court ruling granting presidents criminal immunity protections.
Trump maintained his innocence passim the proceedings and often referred to it arsenic a "witch hunt."
Four days aft giving birth, Leavitt returned to activity erstwhile Trump survived an assassination effort successful Butler, Pennsylvania, successful July 2024.
Leavitt had a TV workplace built successful her location truthful that she could look connected tv soon aft giving birth.
"I felt compelled to beryllium coming successful this historical moment," she told The Conservateur. "The president virtually put his life connected the statement to triumph this election. The slightest I could do is get backmost to activity quickly."
After Trump won the 2024 election, he appointed Leavitt arsenic the youngest-ever White House property secretary.
As property secretary, Leavitt established a "new media seat" successful the White House briefing room reserved for podcasters, societal media influencers, and different independent contented creators who, "despite being immoderate of the astir viewed news websites successful the country, person not been fixed seats successful this room," she said astatine a briefing.
Leavitt is joined to 60-year-old Nicholas Riccio, who is much than doubly her age.
Leavitt was introduced to Riccio, a real-estate developer, astatine a run arena by a communal friend during her 2022 tally for Congress.
They announced their engagement connected Christmas successful 2023 and welcomed a son, Niko, connected July 10, 2024.
Leavitt and Riccio wed connected January 4, 2025, days earlier Trump's 2nd inauguration.
She has described their age-gap matrimony arsenic "a very atypical emotion story."
Leavitt said astir their 32-year property spread successful a February 2025 question and reply connected The Megyn Kelly Show.
"I mean, it's a very atypical emotion story, but he's incredible," she said of Riccio, adding, "He's the begetter of my child, and he's the champion dada I could ever inquire for. And he is truthful supportive, particularly during a very chaotic play of life."
In a November 2025 question and reply pinch Miranda Devine connected the podcast "Pod Force One," Leavitt said astir her parents' guidance to her "unusual" narration pinch Riccio, who is older than her mother.
"It's decidedly a challenging speech to person astatine first," she said. "But then, of course, erstwhile they sewage to cognize him and saw who he is arsenic a man and his characteristic and really overmuch he adores me, I deliberation it became rather easy for them."
On Wednesday, Leavitt announced her departure arsenic White House property secretary, citing her desire to walk much clip pinch her family.
"The truth is since returning to the White House aft the commencement of my daughter, I person felt successful my bosom that I cannot beryllium the champion mom my 2 young children merit while devoting the changeless time, energy, and attraction required of the White House property caput — and that is why I person yet made the bittersweet determination to depart the White House and embark connected a caller section successful my life," Leavitt wrote successful a statement posted to X.
In a Truth Social post, Trump called Leavitt "one of my astir trusted aides" and said her departure was "a determination I wholly understand and respect!"
Leavitt, who will time off the domiciled astatine the extremity of August, will proceed to service arsenic a apical extracurricular advisor, the president wrote.
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Talia Lakritz is simply a Life analogous astatine Business Insider covering authorities and powerfulness done a manner and ocular storytelling lens. She has reported from the White House arsenic good arsenic subject installations, mansions, and museums crossed the country, bringing readers wrong the people, places, and systems that power American life done immersive features.Previously, she wrote for The New York Jewish Week and SciShow Space.Talia holds a BA successful English pinch a attraction successful Creative Writing from Barnard College of Columbia University and ordination arsenic an interfaith curate from One Spirit Learning Alliance. She hopes to 1 time sojourn each 50 states and each 14 nationalist statesmanlike libraries.Talia tin beryllium found on LinkedIn, Instagram, and X.Politics and power:
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