US State Secy Rubio briefs media at White House in temporary role as Press Secy Leavitt goes on maternity leave

Washington DC [US], May 6 : US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Tuesday (local time) will take on a temporary additional role at the White House, stepping in to address the media from the briefing room podium.

According to Fox News, Rubio will brief reporters directly in the White House Briefing Room in place of White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, who is currently on maternity leave.

The development marks an unusual move, with a senior cabinet official assuming briefing responsibilities typically handled by the White House press secretary.

Last month, Leavitt announced that she would be away from the White House for maternity leave, as the MAGA proponent is set to have a daughter.

There will not be any replacement for Leavitt, but she announced that the press will continue getting updates from her team.

After her usual gaggle with the press outside the White House on April 24, Leavitt concluded, "Finally, on a personal matter, this will likely be my last gaggle for some time. As you can see, I'm about ready to have a baby any minute. So I will see you guys very soon. I know you'll be in very good hands with my team here at the White House, and I know all of you have the president's phone number personally, so I have no doubt that you will have no shortage of statements and news from this building while I am gone."

Leavitt is married to Nicholas Riccio, a New Hampshire-based real estate developer. The couple married in January 2025, just before US President Donald Trump's second inauguration. They welcomed their first child, a son named Niko, in 2024.

The White House is witnessing a baby boom after the conservative Republican Party's takeover.

At least four women with close ties to the White House are pregnant, including second lady Usha Vance, Leavitt, and Katie Miller, who is married to White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller.

White House deputy chief of staff James Blair and his wife, Sam, were expecting a baby in March, as reported by Fox News.

Leavitt told Vanity Fair in its report published in December 2025, "The president doesn't give a crap if you're a man or a woman. He just wants you to be good at your job."

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