About this episode

The episode discusses the challenges faced by mothers in high-pressure jobs like the White House press secretary, focusing on Karoline Leavitt's decision to leave for family reasons.

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 podcasts@usatoday.com .  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 .

More episodes of The Excerpt

• The story behind the firefighters' flag-raising at Ground Zero · September 11, 2026 · 20 min
• The challenge of teaching 9/11 to kids · September 10, 2026 · 16 min
• The untold 9/11 stories of ordinary Americans · September 9, 2026 · 17 min
• The enduring impacts of 9/11 · September 8, 2026 · 11 min
• Who can track your car with Flock camera data? · September 4, 2026 · 19 min
• The AI backlash uniting a divided America · September 3, 2026 · 16 min

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the The Excerpt podcast page.