Karoline Leavitt is setting the record straight about her departure from the White House. And she has a blunt message for anyone who believes the rumors circulating online.
Keep reading to know more.
Karoline Leavitt, the 29-year-old former White House press secretary recently addressed speculation that she quit her role after an alleged security incident involving President Donald Trump and Air Force One. During an Instagram Q&A on October 14, Leavitt firmly rejected the claim, insisting that the story was completely false.
“That’s a stupid online rumor. Zero truth to it,” she wrote.
But that wasn’t the only thing Leavitt wanted to clarify. She also explained why her new career plans are very different from her former White House job, making it clear that working occasionally on television is not the same as spending more than 60 hours a week in one of the most demanding roles in Washington.
And with two young children at home, she says she is embracing a very different chapter of her life.
Leavitt Explains Why Her New Job Is Different From Working At The White House
Leavitt served as White House press secretary from January 2025 until August 2026, becoming the youngest person in U.S. history to hold the position.
After welcoming her second child in May, she announced that she would be stepping away from the demanding role to spend more time with her growing family.
However, when she opened the floor to questions from followers on Instagram, one person challenged her decision, asking why she had left the press secretary position if she was still planning to work.
Leavitt didn’t hold back.
Sharing an eye-roll emoji, she explained that her former job required a level of availability and commitment that her new plans simply would not.
“As Press Sec, I was working in the office 60+ hours a week, traveling the world, and always on call 24/7,” she wrote.
“Now, I am home with my kids every day and doing some TV hits. These things are not the same, ma’am.”
Her response highlighted the distinction between leaving a demanding full-time government position and stepping away from professional work altogether.
For Leavitt, the goal isn’t necessarily to stop working. It’s to change how work fits into her life as a mother of two.
She’s Joining Fox News — But Her Kids Come First For Now
Leavitt also gave followers an update on what comes next professionally.
She revealed that she would officially join Fox News as a television contributor on November 1, continuing to make appearances across various programs. She also hinted that she has other projects in the works.
“I will be officially joining Fox News as a TV Contributor on November 1st, so I will continue making appearances on various shows! I have a couple of other projects I am working on,” she explained.
But she was quick to add that her main focus at the moment is spending time at home.
“But mainly, I am staying home and doing a whole lot of this!”
She accompanied the message with a photo of herself holding her baby, offering followers a glimpse of the family time she had been hoping to prioritize.
Leavitt shares two children with her husband, real estate developer Nicholas Riccio, 61. Their son, Nicholas “Niko” Riccio, is two, while their daughter, Viviana “Vivi” Riccio, was five months old at the time of the Q&A.
Her comments suggest that while she isn’t walking away from her career entirely, she wants the flexibility to be present for the everyday moments that can be difficult to fit around a demanding political schedule.
Leavitt Directly Addresses The Air Force One Rumor
Perhaps the most pointed moment of the Q&A came when a follower asked whether Leavitt had left the White House after Trump allegedly failed to inform her about a threat involving Air Force One during a trip connected to Iran in July 2026.
The question referenced a rumor that had circulated on social media, suggesting that an alleged security incident had played a role in her departure.
Leavitt rejected the claim outright.
“Please stop believing everything you see on social media and read the actual news,” she responded.
She then clarified that she hadn’t even been on the trip in question.
“I was not on that plane. I was not even on that trip. I was home with my kids. And even if I was, I wouldn’t have left a job over it!”
Leavitt went on to explain that traveling with the president inherently involves security risks, something she said she understood throughout her time in the administration.
“Every time you step on the Air Force One, you know the risk of traveling with the President,” she wrote.
“I have been to the Middle East with him before. I have spoken on matters of war at the podium which also comes with great risk. Threats come with the job.”
She ended her response with an unmistakable dismissal of the speculation: “That’s a stupid online rumor. Zero truth to it.”
Her statement directly contradicts the claim that the alleged incident prompted her departure. According to Leavitt, her decision was about her family and the demands of the position; not the story circulating online.
Trump Previously Praised Her Decision To Leave
When Leavitt announced she was stepping down, Trump publicly expressed support for her decision.
In an August message on Truth Social, he described her as a trusted member of his team and said he understood why she wanted to spend more time with her young children.
“Our wonderful White House Press Secretary, and one of my most trusted aides, Karoline Leavitt, will be departing her role at the end of the month so she can spend more time with her beautiful young children and family, a decision I totally understand and respect!” Trump wrote.
He also indicated that her departure from the White House wouldn’t mean the end of their professional relationship.
“Karoline will now be one of my top outside advisors, and an influential voice within the Republican Party, as we work to defy History, and conclusively win the Midterm Elections,” he added.
The message suggested that Donald Trump expected Leavitt to remain connected to his political world, even as she stepped away from the daily responsibilities of the press secretary role.
Her upcoming Fox News position will also keep her in the public eye, although in a different capacity.
She Still Has Plenty Of Praise For Trump
Despite leaving the White House, Leavitt made it clear during the Q&A that she continues to have a positive view of her former boss.
When one follower asked whether Trump was “nice/kind,” she responded enthusiastically.
“Yes! He’s the best boss,” she wrote.
She also pushed back against the idea that the public necessarily sees the same side of Trump that she experienced while working with him.
“People don’t see this side of him because the media doesn’t show it but he has been nothing but kind and uplifting to me, even since departing,” she said.
“He’s also hilarious. Love him!”
Her comments suggest that leaving her position hasn’t changed the way she describes her relationship with the president, whom she continues to praise publicly.
A Different Chapter For Leavitt
Between motherhood, her upcoming television role and other projects she says are in development, Leavitt appears ready to balance public life with a more flexible routine.
Her responses also make her position on the rumors clear: she says she didn’t leave because of an Air Force One security incident, and she disputes the claim that she was even present during the trip being discussed.
Instead, she has repeatedly pointed to the demands of her former role and her desire to spend more time with her children.
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