Karoline Leavitt welcomed her second baby on Friday, May 1.
The White House press secretary, 28, announced the birth of her daughter Viviana, or “Vivi,” with husband Nicholas Riccio, 60, sharing the news in an Instagram post on Thursday, May 7.
“She is perfect and healthy, and her big brother is joyfully adjusting to life with his new baby sister,” Leavitt wrote. “We are enjoying every moment in our blissful newborn bubble.”
Though her final day at the White House before maternity leave was supposed to be Friday, April 24, Leavitt attended the White House Correspondents’ Dinner over the weekend and found herself back on duty when an active shooter situation disrupted the event. She held a last-minute press briefing on Monday, April 27, to denounce political violence and slam late-night comedian Jimmy Kimmel before resuming leave in preparation for her due date.
Politico reported in late April that Leavitt will return to the podium after her maternity leave and will not have a formal replacement. The outlet said at the time that Cabinet officials, including Vice President JD Vance and potentially President Donald Trump, will handle press briefings in her absence.
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Leavitt, who also has a son Niko, 21 months, first announced the news of her pregnancy back in December on Instagram. In the pictures, Leavitt could be seen posing in front of the Christmas tree in a white sweater dress, holding her stomach.
“The greatest Christmas gift we could ever ask for – a baby girl coming in May 2026.
,” Leavitt wrote in her caption. “My husband and I are thrilled to grow our family and can’t wait to watch our son become a big brother. My heart is overflowing with gratitude to God for the blessing of motherhood, which I truly believe is the closest thing to Heaven on Earth. 
.”
Leavitt remained in her post as press secretary during her pregnancy, making her the first pregnant press secretary in history.
Leavitt and Riccio, a real estate developer, got engaged over the Christmas holiday in 2023 and welcomed their son, Nicholas Robert Riccio, nicknamed “Niko,” on July 10, 2024. Shortly after giving birth to her son Niko, Leavitt returned to work on Donald Trump’s 2024 campaign for the presidency, saying she was motivated to forgo maternity leave following the July 13 assassination attempt on Trump in Butler, Pa.
“I looked at my husband and said, ‘Looks like I’m going back to work,’ ” she told The Conservateur in an October 2024 interview.
Leavitt has not shared how long she plans to stay on maternity leave this time around before returning to the White House.
