Karoline Leavitt Pivots Into Mom Life Amid Signs She's Burning Out As Trump's Mouthpiece

In the last year, Karoline Leavitt's experienced some major life events: getting married, becoming White House press secretary, and giving birth to her son, Nicholas Robert Riccio,  or "Niko" for short. Balancing working and parenting is a lot for anyone to handle, and Leavitt's high-pressure job likely makes things even more difficult. One of Leavitt's more recent Instagram stories was a repost about women dealing with concerning amounts of stress, and it looked like a red flag that being press secretary was getting to Leavitt.

Days later, however, Leavitt's switched things up with a post that's all about her son. On July 10, Leavitt and her husband, Nicholas Riccio, celebrated Niko's first birthday. "There are no words to describe how much I love this little boy. I thank God every day for making me his mommy," Leavitt gushed on Instagram. In honor of this milestone, the press secretary posted a video montage of sweet and funny moments showing her son's growth.

Many of the scenes feature peaceful domesticity, with Leavitt and Riccio cuddling their son. Others highlight the family on vacation by the ocean or in the pool. However, a couple of clips show Leavitt and Niko in the Oval Office and White House events, acknowledging the fact that Leavitt's job and parenthood are inextricably intertwined. This fact was demonstrated more overtly when a photo of Leavitt made headlines as she simultaneously cared for Niko and tended to business in her White House office.

Karoline Leavitt often appears obsessed with Donald Trump, and after he survived an assassination attempt in July 2024, she resumed her duties as campaign press secretary, even though her son was just days old. Leavitt started by working from home, then segued to the office. "I was able to easily go downstairs and do a quick TV hit, and then, of course, attend to my child," Leavitt explained to podcaster Kate Mackz. "He was always with me throughout the entire duration of the campaign." While this seems like an ideal setup, it wasn't without its difficulties, since Leavitt was working odd hours. In addition, she reportedly had been sacrificing a good night's sleep since during her pregnancy.

Things improved slightly by March 2025, when Leavitt reported her average rest was between five and six hours. "As President Trump says, 'when you love your job, when you love your life, you don't need to sleep much,'" Leavitt informed CBN News. Rather than sage advice, this belief seems like a recipe for burnout, and sleep debt could be starting to take a toll on the press secretary. 

In the same interview, Leavitt discussed the conflict she felt between her personal and professional lives. However, she indicated that her family took precedence over other commitments. "Saying no, when you have to say no to take care of your family, is something I've had to learn the hard way," Leavitt divulged.