Karoline Leavitt had a special message for her husband in one of her last interviews as White House press secretary.
Leavitt, 29, made rare public remarks about her husband Nicholas Riccio, 61, as she spoke to NewsNation’s Morning in America on her last day as President Donald Trump’s chief spokesperson.
“Well, I know your husband has been very supportive of you, and I’m sure he’s glad to be getting more of your time at home with those beautiful babies, Karoline,” anchor Markie Martin said.
Leavitt took a moment to honor her partner of four years, who has been caring for their young children while she’s been at the White House.
“Well, first I do have to thank my husband since you raised it,” she responded. “He has been just an angel and a blessing to me and my kids, really has given up a lot to move to D.C., a town he’s unfamiliar with, took a step back from his own career to be here for me and support me.”
“So thank you, honey. I love you,” she added.
The couple met during Leavitt’s 2022 congressional campaign, when Leavitt was 25 and running for the congressional seat in New Hampshire’s 1st congressional district. She ultimately lost to Rep. Chris Pappas. They have two children: Niko, 2, and Viviana, born in May.
Leavitt decided to leave the White House shortly after returning from maternity leave, though she will continue to advise the president. Trump made the announcement himself, writing in a Truth Social post that she was leaving so “she can spend more time with her beautiful young children and family, a decision I totally understand and respect!”
But insiders later revealed to the Daily Mail that Trump may have helped drive away his own press secretary.
One source close to Leavitt told the outlet that “she had been strongly weighing whether to quit during maternity leave, as the president would contact her often and repeatedly ask when she was coming back.”
Another source said Leavitt got burned out within days of her return to the White House.
“It was a very stressful job to do with her children. She never got any sleep, and she didn’t want her performance to slip either,” the source said, adding: “The president did everything he could to keep her.”
Leavitt told NewsNation she made her decision with her husband’s help.
“I just prayed on it and talked to my husband night after night about what to do,” she said. “And, you know, I love this job so much. I believe so much in the president and everything he’s working to accomplish here. So it was one of the most difficult decisions I’ve ever had to make.”
“I think I’ve, you know, served the president the best I can and he deserves a press secretary who can be here on the clock literally 24/7. That’s what the job requires,” Leavitt went on. “And sometimes in life, you just can’t have it all at the same time. And I realize I’m at that moment in my life right now.”
