Fact Check: Has Karoline Leavitt welcomed her second child?

WASHINGTON, DC: White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt has allegedly welcomed her second baby girl, prompting her to step away temporarily from her White House duties for maternity leave.

Leavitt announced her pregnancy in December, noting she was due in early May 2026, and recent viral posts claiming the birth have circulated widely, especially among conservative audiences highlighting themes of family priorities and administrative continuity. Here’s a fact check on whether Leavitt has actually given birth to her second child.

Claim: Viral post says Karoline Leavitt welcomed second child

According to an X post shared by @micheeleMaxwell, the user expressed congratulations to Karoline Leavitt, claiming she had welcomed her second child. The post began with, “Congratulations to Karoline and her hubby.”

The message continued in a celebratory tone, stating, “JOYFUL NEWS! — WHITE HOUSE CELEBRATES AS KAROLINE LEAVITT WELCOMES BABY #2! T.R.U.M.P AND V.A.N.C.E SET TO GUEST HOST PRESS BRIEFINGS!”

It further claimed, “The briefing room is about to get a lot more ‘presidential’! Karoline Leavitt, 28, the youngest Press Secretary in history, has officially traded her legal pads for diaper bags after welcoming her second child—a beautiful baby girl—just this week!”

The post also stated that as Leavitt begins maternity leave, the White House has introduced a “powerhouse” plan to maintain press briefings. It added that President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and other Cabinet officials were reportedly preparing to serve as guest hosts for press briefings, describing the development as something that has the Washington press corps “buzzing.”

The post concluded by asking whether Washington is ready for the “unscripted energy” of a Trump-led briefing room and invited users to view an alleged first glimpse of the baby and the guest host lineup. It also included a collage image featuring Leavitt smiling, a pregnancy photo, and an alleged newborn image.

Fact Check: Karoline Leavitt has not confirmed birth of second child

While the post sparked widespread discussion online, with many users believing it to be true and commenting on the image of the alleged newborn, the claim about Karoline Leavitt is false. There is no confirmed report that she has welcomed her second baby during her maternity leave. Leavitt is currently pregnant with her second child, a baby girl, who is due in May 2026. The image circulating alongside the post, which shows a newborn, is actually of her first child, Niko, born in 2024, not the expected 2026 baby.

Leavitt confirmed her second pregnancy in an Instagram post on December 26, 2025, announcing that she and her husband, Nicholas Riccio, were expecting a baby girl in May 2026. She wrote, “The greatest Christmas gift we could ever ask for — a baby girl coming in May 2026. My husband and I are thrilled to grow our family and can’t wait to watch our son become a big brother.”

She also expressed gratitude for motherhood, calling it “the closest thing to Heaven on Earth,” and thanked President Donald Trump and Chief of Staff Susie Wiles for supporting a “pro-family environment” in the White House.

Leavitt also shared updates about her pregnancy publicly, including a baby shower in March attended by close friends such as Pam Bondi and Katie Miller. In late April, she told reporters outside the White House that she would likely be stepping away soon, saying she was “about ready to have a baby any minute” and noting that the press team would be in “very good hands” during her maternity leave.