(AFP) – White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt on Thursday announced the birth of her second child — a girl named Viviana — just days after delaying her maternity leave following an alleged assassination attempt against President Donald Trump.
“On May 1st, Viviana aka ‘Vivi’ joined our family, and our hearts instantly exploded with love,” Leavitt, who at 28 is the youngest White House press secretary in history, said on X. “She is perfect and healthy, and her big brother is joyfully adjusting to life with his new baby sister. We are enjoying every moment in our blissful newborn bubble.”
Trump’s spokeswoman — who is best known for her acid put-downs of journalists — posted a picture of herself in a nursery, cradling her baby daughter to her chest. Leavitt had announced that she was taking maternity leave on April 24. But her last day in the briefing room ended up being on April 28, after a gunman tried to storm the White House correspondents dinner.
That echoed the birth of her son Nicholas in summer 2024, when she returned to work on Trump’s campaign just days later following an assassination attempt against the then Republican candidate at Butler, Pennsylvania.
Leavitt thanked people who had “reached out with prayers during my pregnancy,” adding: “I truly felt them throughout the entire experience. God is Good.”
The White House has not named an official replacement for Leavitt, but Secretary of State Marco Rubio stepped into her shoes earlier this week, winning positive reviews with a relaxed performance at the podium.
© 2024 AFP
