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EPISODE · Sep 2, 2026 · 12 MIN

Why mothers are leaving one of Washington’s toughest jobs

from The Excerpt

Being White House press secretary means long days, constant travel and being available almost around the clock. For parents of young children, those demands can come with a high cost. Karoline Leavitt is leaving the role months after having her second child, saying she wants more time with her family. But she isn't the first. USA TODAY Government Accountability Reporter Erin Mansfield found that several recent press secretaries who were mothers described similar pressures. She joins The Excerpt to explain why mothers have tended to spend less time in the job than their predecessors and what their experiences reveal about a broader challenge facing working mothers.Let us know what you think of this episode by sending an email to [email protected]. Episode transcript available here. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published Sep 2, 2026

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Why mothers are leaving one of Washington’s toughest jobs

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