The most recognizable face of the Trump White House briefing room is about to take a step back — at least temporarily.
Karoline Leavitt, the 28-year-old who shattered records by becoming the youngest press secretary in American history, is expecting her second child, a daughter, due this May.
Washington insiders are already speculating about who will command the podium in her absence, and three names from within her own press office keep surfacing.
Deputy Press Secretary Anna Kelly is widely considered the frontrunner among the internal candidates.
She arrived at the White House in January carrying a resume built almost entirely inside the Republican political machine, having held senior communications roles at both the Republican National Committee and the House of Representatives.
Kelly is simultaneously serving as a special assistant to President Trump — a role listed on her X account — signaling she already operates close to the center of power.
Her background, however, extends well beyond Capitol Hill. In 2019, Kelly claimed the Miss State Fair of Virginia crown, a title she leveraged to push young Americans toward political involvement. “In today’s polarized political climate, it is our job to step up to the plate and work to ensure the government we receive is a good one,” she told the Fairfax Times.
She did not stop there.
“It is my goal as Miss State Fair of Virginia to show young people that, contrary to what they might believe, we do have a voice and it’s about time we used it,” Kelly said.
The Auburn University graduate has since traded pageant stages for press gaggles.
Assistant Press Secretary Taylor Rogers rounds out the picture as another credible option. The Clemson University graduate got engaged in December and stepped into the White House at the very start of Trump’s second term — timing that mirrors her boss almost exactly.
Rogers built her pre-White House career at the Republican National Committee, logging nearly two years there before making the move to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
She has been photographed alongside Leavitt inside the Oval Office and maintains an active social media presence documenting her time in the administration, per reports.
Regional Press Secretary Liz Huston represents a less conventional path to potential prominence.
The Indiana University graduate came to the White House from StateRAMP, a cybersecurity firm where she had worked as a program manager after completing an internship there.
Leavitt herself has stayed quiet on the official timeline of her leave, offering no public announcement about when she plans to step away from daily briefings.
What she has shared is far more personal.
The Daily Mail recently reported that she recently celebrated her baby shower, posting photographs that included a snapshot with her mother, Erin, surrounded by close friends.
“My beautiful friends threw me a beautiful baby shower, and I couldn’t be more grateful,” she wrote.
“I feel blessed to have so many strong and loving women in my life and can’t believe we will welcome our little lady into the world in a few weeks.”
The pregnancy announcement itself came last December, when Leavitt revealed on Instagram that she and her husband, businessman Nicholas Riccio, are expecting a girl.
She called the news “the greatest Christmas gift we could ever ask for.”
“My husband and I are thrilled to grow our family and can’t wait to watch our son become a big brother,” Leavitt wrote.
The couple’s first child, a son named Niko, arrived in July 2024.
Leavitt used the pregnancy announcement as an opportunity to publicly thank the administration’s leadership.
She credited President Trump and Chief of Staff Susie Wiles with building “a pro-family environment in the White House.”
She closed the post with a note of personal anticipation: “2026 is going to be a great year, and I’m so excited to be a girl mom.”
