White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt could be close to returning to work after temporarily stepping away from her position weeks ago.
In April, Leavitt, 28, took maternity leave from her role as spokesperson for President Donald Trump’s administration
The following month, she and her husband, estate developer Nicholas Riccio, 60, welcomed their daughter, Viviana, on May 1. The couple already share a 1-year-old son, Nicholas, aka Niko.
Critics say Karoline Leavitt is ready to return to the political spotlight because she wasted no time inserting herself into a conversation that wasn’t directly about her.
Leavitt made her return to the White House for UFC Freedom 250, which took place on the South Lawn as a celebration for the nation’s 250th anniversary and Trump’s 80th birthday.
Leavitt uploaded pictures from her evening watching MMA in Washington, DC, with Trump and her husband to social media.
The New Hampshire native wore a red dress and a matching red jacket for the occasion.
“Mom + Dad night out for @ufc Freedom 250. Thank you, President Trump and @danawhite for an absolutely epic time!” Leavitt captioned her June 15-dated, four-slide Instagram carousel.
However, this was just her latest attempt at testing the waters before her official White House return.
Following Trump’s birthday bash, Leavitt took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to share her take on the five men who were charged and taken into custody.
In response, Leavitt replied, President Trump and the entire Administration are grateful to the @FBI, @SecretService, and every heroic member of law enforcement who works tirelessly to keep us safe. Thanks to their efforts, UFC Freedom 250 will be remembered as one of the greatest sporting events in history.”
According to CBS News, the FBI said Tuesday it thwarted an alleged plot targeting Sunday’s UFC Freedom 250 event at the White House.
President Trump and the entire Administration are grateful to the @FBI, @SecretService, and every heroic member of law enforcement who works tirelessly to keep us safe.
Thanks to their efforts, UFC Freedom 250 will be remembered as one of the greatest sporting events in history. https://t.co/o7pyukqjIZ
— Karoline Leavitt (@PressSec) June 16, 2026
Investigators say the suspects — five men from four different states — planned to use explosive-laden drones and snipers against government officials and wealthy guests.
Her post praising President Trump, federal law enforcement, and the administration after UFC Freedom 250 struck some observers as more than a routine show of support.
To them, it looked like a familiar return to the role she played throughout Trump’s campaigns — aggressively defending him, shaping the narrative around him, and rallying supporters whenever controversy or criticism emerged.
One person asked, “In all my life, I have never seen a president of the United States have so many attempts on his life…. What is Trump doing that people want him dead so bad? Is he that bad really?”
Another said, “My God, thank goodness, that was a nightmare. Law enforcement really did a fantastic job this time. But honestly… these schemes’ always seem to appear around Trump’s big events, like clockwork. It’s good that no one was hurt and the event went smoothly.”
The comments reflected growing concern over the threats surrounding Trump.
Some pointed to the 2024 Florida golf course assassination attempt, the White House dinner shooting, and other chaotic incidents tied to his events.
The comments reflected growing concern over the threats surrounding Trump.
Some pointed to the shooting at the July 13 rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, the 2024 Florida golf course assassination attempt, and other chaotic incidents tied to his events.
Others questioned why security scares seem to follow the president’s biggest appearances, such as the White House Correspondents Dinner, where an armed man stormed past security.
However, trolls swarmed Leavitt’s comment section to inject some negativity on her page by making fun of the Saint Anselm College graduate’s marriage to a much older man.
“He looks like your dad… And that’s not the flex you think it is,” one person asked jokingly.
Some people made it clear they had enjoyed Leavitt’s absence from the White House briefing room and weren’t looking forward to her return.
One individual suggested, “Take your [time] coming back. It’s much more relaxed without your gaslighting. In fact, just retire.”
Leavitt clearly has advocates online who back her up, but Trump’s official mouthpiece has also established herself as a villain among critics of the president.
Fact-checkers have worked tirelessly to track the false statements Leavitt makes from the White House podium. Beyond pushing propaganda at work, sharing her personal life has also sparked backlash.
In particular, critics blasted Leavitt as tone-deaf after she showed off a Louis Vuitton box she received for Mother’s Day, a move they say insults millions of Americans struggling with the high cost of living under Trump’s policy decisions.
Leavitt was also scrutinized for attending UFC Freedom 250.
Some of the complaints focused on her partying for Trump’s birthday with a newborn child at home, while other people objected to her taking leave from a taxpayer-funded job only to walk back into the White House for an extravagant MMA-themed showcase.
As the online debate over the polarizing press secretary has raged on for months, Leavitt continued making public appearances with her husband, including at the ill-fated 2026 White House Correspondents’ Dinner on April 25.
This year’s WCHD was prematurely shut down due to a shooting inside the Washington Hilton hotel. Leavitt called Trump “truly fearless” in response to Secret Service agents rushing the POTUS from the ballroom.
With more than two years left in the second Trump term, Leavitt and her White House colleagues will remain on the hot seat because the MAGA leader seems to find new ways to force his staffers to defend him at all costs.
