Karoline Leavitt Called Out After Accidentally Going Live on Instagram in Latest Embarrassing Blunder
Karoline Leavitt found herself becoming the news on Sunday, instead of simply talking about it.
Sept. 28 2026, Published 4:00 p.m. ET
Former White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt was in a rush to stop the presses Sunday, September 27, after the new mom accidentally started an Instagram Live feed from her bed, RadarOnline.com can report.
The new mother quickly ended the transmission, but not before hundreds of people had already tuned into the miscommunication.
Karoline Leavitt Goes Live
The former White House press secretary was lampooned for accidentally going live on Instagram.
Leavitt, 29, was lounging around in bed with her five-month-old daughter, Viviana, whom she welcomed on May 1 with her husband, Nicholas Riccio, 61, when she accidentally opened a live stream.
The press-savvy media member almost immediately killed the broadcast without saying a word. But in those few live moments, she racked up nearly 1,200 viewers.
Leavitt's close-up drew guffaws online, where one person posted an unflattering screenshot of her and asked: "Did Karoline Leavitt just accidentally go live on Instagram? This popped up and then quickly ended," followed by a laughing face emoji.
Not long after, Leavitt made another post on Instagram – this time on purpose – to laugh off her big scene.
"Just accidentally went live while trying to edit a reel LOL," she wrote above a more glamorous photo of her in bed with her newborn, whose face was strategically covered by her message. "Sorry to those who got excited... but maybe I should go live soon, and I can answer some questions from you guys?! For now, we are going to take our Sunday nap. Byeee!"
Karoline Leavitt Outdraws Donald Trump
She quickly ended her stream, and later explained what happened.
Mistake or not, Leavitt's live shot was still more popular than her former boss's debacle of a "TV station." At the same moment those 1,157 people were glued to Leavitt, President Trump's new "Trump TV" livestream, which shows live events and highlights from the president's day and is billed as "essential viewing by the White House, had just 187 watchers.
Trump TV initially debuted on Monday, September 21, pulling in roughly 8,500 viewers. That number, however, dropped by 4,000 viewers just 90 minutes later.
By 9 p.m. Eastern, the stream was attracting only about 3,000 viewers, a tiny audience compared with the millions watching the major networks at primetime.
Must See Trump TV?
Her brief live moment drew more viewers than the president's new 'Trump TV' station.
The president launched "Trump TV" after banning CNN, MS NOW, and Politico from the White House. However, Trump was ordered to overturn his ban on the three networks by a federal judge,
Meanwhile, the 80-year-old is said to be eyeing turning his self-produced White House coverage into a reality TV-style operation as America's major television networks deprive the president of the cameras that have followed him for decades.
A source familiar with the project claimed: "Trump understands television better than almost any politician in the world, and he isn't going to accept disappearing from people's screens."
Karoline Leavitt Explains Her Reason for Leaving the White House
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Leavitt stepped down to care for her family.
Leavitt left her White House post after giving birth to her second child, daughter Viviana. She returned to the briefing-room podium in July before announcing the following month that she was stepping down because she could not give both the job and her children the attention they deserved.
"The truth is, since returning to the White House after the birth of my daughter, I have felt in my heart that I cannot be the best mom my two young children deserve while devoting the constant time, energy, and attention required of the White House press secretary—and that is why I have ultimately made the bittersweet decision to depart the White House and embark on a new chapter in my life," Leavitt said at the time.
"I am incredibly grateful to President Trump for granting me so many extraordinary opportunities, such as working in the West Wing and spending countless hours in the Oval Office, flying around the world and meeting foreign leaders, and traveling across our beautiful country and meeting Americans from all walks of life," she added.
"Most of all, I am thankful to the President for entrusting me with the distinct privilege of speaking on his behalf at the White House podium."
