Secretary of State Marco Rubio has expressed his eagerness for Karoline Leavitt to return from maternity leave as White House press secretary. Rubio, who temporarily filled in for Leavitt at a press briefing on May 5, described her as 'irreplaceable' during an interview with Fox News anchor Sean Hannity aboard Air Force One.
Leavitt, 28, began maternity leave on April 27 and gave birth to her daughter, Viviana, on May 1. She also has a son, Nicholas 'Niko', who will turn two in July. The length of her leave remains undetermined, with a White House official stating it is 'still to be determined'. Reports suggest she plans to take a longer break than after her son's birth in 2024, which was cut short due to an assassination attempt on President Donald Trump.
Rubio, who answered reporters' questions for nearly an hour during the briefing, joked that he would not want to do the job weekly. He now holds dual roles as Secretary of State and national security adviser, a position he assumed after Mike Waltz was transferred to become UN ambassador following a Signal chat scandal.
Leavitt is the first White House press secretary to give birth while in office. Her last public appearance was on April 25 at the White House Correspondents' Dinner, where a gunman attempted to storm the event but was thwarted by law enforcement.
