Pregnant Karoline Leavitt attends 2026 White House Correspondents’ Dinner day after maternity leave announcement

Leavitt arrived at the Washington Hilton in Washington, D.C., for the 2026 White House Correspondents’ Dinner wearing a dazzling black outfit. The White House Press Secretary, who is 9 months pregnant, confidently posed on the red carpet, waving to the camera and proudly flaunting her baby bump.

The 28-year-old attended the event with her husband, Riccio, who is 32 years her senior. The couple is expecting their second child, a baby girl, in May and are already parents to Nicholas "Niko" Robert Riccio, whom they welcomed in July 2024. The pair tied the knot in July 2025, a year after welcoming their son. Leavitt and Riccio beamed as they posed together on the red carpet. 

Leavitt’s appearance at the 2026 White House Correspondents’ Dinner came after she announced her maternity leave. “This will likely be my last gaggle for some time. As you can see,” she told reporters on April 24, adding, “I'm about ready to have a baby any minute, so I will see you guys very soon.”

In addition to being the youngest Press Secretary, Karoline Leavitt also made history as the first White House Press Secretary to serve while pregnant. That confidence and professionalism oozed out on April 25 as she walked the carpet before heading inside the Washington Hilton ballroom to attend the dinner and speeches.

Upon entering the Washington Hilton ballroom, Leavitt took the stage to sit at the head table with President Donald Trump, First Lady Melania Trump and Vice President JD Vance, among others. In her maternity leave announcement, Leavitt told the press, “I know you'll be in very good hands with my team here at the White House.”

Meanwhile, Leavitt also went viral for a remark she made during an interview with Fox News before the event. Speaking about what to expect from the dinner, the Press Secretary said, “There will be some shots fired in the room tonight,” referring to potential jabs and heated exchanges among those present. However, the comment took an uncanny turn when an actual gunman fired shots during the event, leading to the immediate evacuation of attendees from the venue. President Trump later called for the dinner to be rescheduled within the next month.