{"id":2569343,"date":"2026-02-12T13:07:00","date_gmt":"2026-02-12T18:07:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/karoline-leavitts-maternity-cover-is-revealed\/"},"modified":"2026-02-12T13:09:04","modified_gmt":"2026-02-12T18:09:04","slug":"karoline-leavitts-maternity-cover-is-revealed","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/karoline-leavitts-maternity-cover-is-revealed\/","title":{"rendered":"Karoline Leavitt&#8217;s maternity cover is revealed"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">12<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fkaroline-leavitts-maternity-cover-is-revealed%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2569343&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The washington Secrets installment explains that Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, will take maternity leave, and there will not be a single stand-in. Instead, a rolling lineup of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/ilhan-omar-other-leftists-distract-from-capitol-attack-by-focusing-on-gun-control-and-racism\/\" title=\"Ilhan Omar, Other Leftists, Distract From Capitol Attack By Focusing On Gun Control And Racism\">high-profile figures<\/a> will fill in as needed.<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; A rotating cast of big-name officials and media figures is expected to cover the briefing podium, including Marco Rubio and the Vice President, with \u201cspecial guests\u201d appearing as necessary. Other names floated as possibilities include Katie Pavlich, Kellyanne Conway, Laura Ingraham, and Monica Crowley.<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; Leavitt, at 28, is highlighted as one of the governance\u2019s breakout stars, known for a take-no-prisoners briefing style. Lara Trump publicly defended Leavitt and dismissed the idea of a permanent replacement.<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; The article notes Leavitt\u2019s past maternity leave\u2014she returned after just four days following her first baby in 2024\u2014and suggests she remains a central figure despite her absence.<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; The piece frames the maternity leave as a test of the administration\u2019s messaging strategy and touches on ongoing political speculation about leadership and the 2028 Republican nomination.<\/p>\n<p>(The piece is part of Washington Secrets, Rob Crilly\u2019s guide to D.C. power and politics.)  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Karoline Leavitt&rsquo;s maternity cover is revealed<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_2503118\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p><strong><em>Welcome to the latest installment of Washington Secrets, your user guide to the capital&rsquo;s politics. Today, we have the juice on who will stand in for White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt when she goes on maternity leave<\/em><\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/donald-trump\/\">President Donald Trump<\/a> will lose his &ldquo;<a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >machine gun lips&#038;rdquo<\/a>; in May when <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/karoline-leavitt\/\">Karoline Leavitt<\/a>, his press secretary, goes on <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/4362447\/karoline-leavitt-announces-pregnancy-second-child\/\">maternity leave<\/a>, vacating the lectern while she has her second baby.<\/p>\n<div class=\"recommended-stories\">\n<h2>Recommended Stories<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/washington-secrets\/4453893\/nigel-farage-donald-trump-friends-disagree-friends\/\">Nigel Farage on Donald Trump: Friends can disagree with friends<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/washington-secrets\/4452301\/walmart-blue-sky-thinking-undoing-will-lewis-washington-post\/\">How Walmarts and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/walmarts-and-blue-sky-thinking-was-the-undoing-of-will-lewis\/\" title=\"Walmarts and blue...sky thinking was the undoing of Will Lewis\">blue-sky thinking<\/a> were the making and then the undoing of Will Lewis at the Washington Post<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/washington-secrets\/4450793\/senate-republicans-secret-weapon-midterm-headwinds\/\">Senate Republicans find their secret weapon as they try to navigate midterm &#8216;headwinds&#8217; with Palm Beach getaway<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>The result is rampant speculation about who might replace one of Trump&rsquo;s most effective officials.<\/p>\n<p>Tricia McLaughlin, the glamorous and punchy spokeswoman at the Department of Homeland Security, has frequently been cited by administration officials as the best equipped to stand in. Her Fox News appearances have won rave reviews, and she has, after all, been well and truly tested in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/trump-sails-past-biden-harris-in-new-presidential-poll\/\" title=\"... Sails Past Biden, Harris In New Presidential Poll\">recent weeks amid<\/a> a series of crises.<\/p>\n<p>But Secrets can reveal that Leavitt will not have a stand-in. Instead, her role will be covered by a rolling cast of big hitters.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Marco [Rubio] will get up,&rdquo; she told Secrets<em> <\/em>in the comfort of her White House office, where a log fire burned against the winter cold. &ldquo;So too will the Vice President. There will be special guests.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Secretary of State <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/marco-rubio\/\">Marco Rubio<\/a> and Vice President <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/jd-vance\/\">JD Vance<\/a> are two of the biggest names in an administration built of cabinet secretaries picked in part for their prowess on television. Any appearances they make will trigger comparisons and more intrigue about which will emerge as the strongest contender for the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/2028-elections\/\">2028 Republican presidential nomination<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Secrets will leave headlines about 2028 auditions to others. But that it will take such important figures to fill in is a reminder of how the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/karoline-leavitt-shakes-up-press-briefing-room-in-podium-debut\/\" title=\"... shakes up press briefing room in podium debut\">youngest press secretary<\/a> in history &mdash; Leavitt is still only 28 &mdash; has been one of the breakout stars of the Trump administration.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;She is so impressive,&rdquo; cooed one first-time visitor to the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/4453068\/white-house-confirms-trump-floated-renaming-penn-station-dulles-airport-after-himself\/\">Briefing Room on Tuesday<\/a>. &ldquo;And you could see her face toughen when she got a question she didn&rsquo;t like.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Minutes earlier, Leavitt had ended the briefing by rolling through a list of the administration&rsquo;s achievements after being asked one time too many about ties between Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Jeffrey Epstein.<\/p>\n<p>Her take-no-prisoners approach made her an indispensable figure during the last months of the election campaign.<\/p>\n<p>She famously managed only four days of maternity leave when she had her first baby, named Niko, in July 2024, hurrying back on to the airwaves after the attempted assassination of Trump at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.<\/p>\n<p>Lara Trump, the President&rsquo;s daughter-in-law, shut down any suggestions that Leavitt could be replaced during a recent interview, citing how she handled her first pregnancy.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Karoline Leavitt is a machine. She&rsquo;s incredible. And she&rsquo;s going nowhere,&rdquo; Lara, Eric Trump&rsquo;s wife, told Fox News. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re all going to be watching as Karoline Leavitt absolutely schools the fake news media while she&rsquo;s probably eight and nine months pregnant.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>She also played down any idea that&nbsp;there would be a permanent replacement.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve seen some stories out there &hellip; who&rsquo;s next in line? Nobody&rsquo;s next in line. It&rsquo;s Karoline,&rdquo; Leavitt said.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Other names in the mix were NewsNation host Katie Pavlich, former Trump adviser Kellyanne Conway, Fox News host Laura Ingraham, and Monica Crowley, Trump&rsquo;s protocol chief and former Fox News contributor.<\/p>\n<p><strong><em>You are reading Washington Secrets, a guide to power and politics in D.C. and beyond. It is written by Rob Crilly, who you can reach at&nbsp;<a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/l\/email-protection\" class=\"__cf_email__\" data-cfemail=\"c0b3a5a3b2a5b4b380b7a1b3a8a9aea7b4afaea5b8a1ada9aea5b2eea3afad\">[email&nbsp;protected]<\/a>&nbsp;with your comments, story tips, and suggestions.<\/em>&nbsp;<em>If a friend sent you this and you&rsquo;d like to sign up,&nbsp;<\/em><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"http:\/\/click1.trk-washingtonexaminer.com\/xprvgynrhhctscghtpnrptnqlrtypjmjlkrlcnpvhgpdcr_jtjrvfbrrsmwbqmnsbmvsv.html?a=Washington+Secrets+Lara+Trump&amp;b=01%2F21%2F2026&amp;c=WEX_Washington+Secrets&amp;d=25812206&amp;e=da31c45955c9411a6c40ecd0e967fa8def1f0fc08362faaa0dee09386ff5c41b\"><em>click here<\/em><\/a><em>.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-lunchtime-reading-nbsp\">Lunchtime reading&nbsp;<\/h2>\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/food\/2026\/02\/11\/compass-coffee-bankruptcy-lawsuits-history\"><strong>Compass Coffee had Starbucks-size ambitions. Here&rsquo;s how it unraveled<\/strong><\/a>: Compass has long been the preferred purveyor of caffeinated drinks for Secrets. And its empty coffeeshops are a cause for sadness. Its downfall was not just the pandemic and a hollowed-out city center.<\/p>\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.iranintl.com\/en\/202602114115\"><strong>Why Netanyahu raced to Washington over Iran<\/strong><\/a>: This was a preview of Wednesday&rsquo;s meeting, but still well worth reading: &ldquo;Netanyahu appears to believe this moment is unique &mdash; that Iran is weaker than it has been in years: economically strained, internally divided, and strategically exposed after recent regional confrontations. In his assessment, a limited agreement would squander a rare opportunity to alter the regime&rsquo;s trajectory, particularly at a time of unprecedented U.S. military presence in the region.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Washington Secrets has the latest on who will cover Karoline Leavitt\u2019s duties while she goes on maternity leave. Leavitt, President Trump\u2019s White House press secretary, is set to take leave in May to welcome her second child.<\/p>\n<p>Rather than appointing a single stand-in, the administration plans to use a rotating lineup of high-profile substitutes. Big names like Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Vice President JD Vance are expected to step in at times, with other prominent figures making guest appearances. This approach underscores Leavitt\u2019s impact as the youngest press secretary in history, who has become a breakout star for the administration.<\/p>\n<p>Earlier chatter had floated Tricia McLaughlin from the Department of Homeland Security as a likely stand-in, but Secrets confirms there won\u2019t be a permanent replacement. Instead, a revolving cast of influential voices will fill in as needed, including potential appearances by Rubio and Vance.<\/p>\n<p>Lara Trump has dismissed the notion of Leavitt being replaced, praising Leavitt\u2019s capabilities and forecasting that she\u2019ll continue to \u201cschool the fake news media\u201d even while pregnant. She also stressed that there isn\u2019t a designated successor.<\/p>\n<p>Other names that have circulated in the mix include Katie Pavlich, Kellyanne Conway, Laura Ingraham, and Monica Crowley.<\/p>\n<p>This briefing is part of Washington Secrets, Rob Crilly\u2019s look at power and politics in D.C. If you\u2019d like to share tips or feedback, you can reach him via the provided contact<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4136,"featured_media":2569344,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/AP26041682909650.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[72836,73686,56800],"class_list":["post-2569343","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-karoline-leavitt-2","tag-maternity-leave","tag-staffing-2"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/AP26041682909650.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2569343","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4136"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2569343"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2569343\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2569347,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2569343\/revisions\/2569347"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2569344"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2569343"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2569343"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2569343"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}