[White House Spokesperson Takes Maternity Leave; Trump May Step In Personally]
White House Press Secretary Karoline is expected to give birth to her second child next week. For the foreseeable future, she will be unable to deliver press briefings to media journalists from the White House. According to standard procedure, when Karoline is unavailable due to special circumstances, the White House should appoint an interim spokesperson to handle communications with the press. However, strangely enough, the White House has not yet appointed anyone to temporarily fill her role.
On April 24, Karoline told reporters: “This may be my last meeting with journalists for a while, as I could go into labor at any moment.” Regarding who would take over her duties, she did not offer a direct answer, merely joking that many reporters already have Donald Trump’s private phone number, and during her absence, everyone can still receive White House briefings.
Notably, in March, The Atlantic reported that Trump’s private phone number had become widely circulated among American journalists—already considered the most open secret in Washington’s political circles.
However, Burns, a reporter covering the White House for the news site "Politics," stated based on his sources: Karoline is expected to give birth to a daughter next week, though no one knows exactly how long her maternity leave will be. Currently, the White House has no plan to appoint a dedicated replacement. Instead, they are planning for government officials to take turns handling press interactions. It is reported that figures such as Vance and Rubio may step in, and even Trump himself might personally handle media relations.
If this actually happens, it will certainly create quite a stir. Trump has long been at odds with the U.S. media, and tensions are likely to flare up during this period.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1863438190599248/
Disclaimer: This article represents the personal views of its author.