I was at work when I learned that Karoline Leavitt, President Trump’s viral press secretary, will be stepping down from her position.
“Our wonderful White House Press Secretary, and one of my most trusted aides, Karoline Leavitt, will be departing her role at the end of the month so she can spend more time with her beautiful young children and family, a decision I totally understand and respect!” wrote President Trump on Truth Social.
As a Gen Z woman who works full-time in the pro-life movement, I knew what would come next: some on the political Right telling women to follow in her footsteps, using Christianity as justification.
The irony of young Christians telling women to go back to the kitchen and care for the kids as the Good Word commands is that scripture does not actually say that — it says the ideal wife is a working mom.
Everyone has heard of the “Proverbs 31 woman,” especially if you are young and single like me. On every dating app, Christian men pick a prompt saying they’re looking for one of these rare women before asking for a stay-at-home mom who will bake homemade sourdough and birth 12 kids.
I am not here to argue that women’s roles as mothers and wives are not important. They clearly are, and they are indispensable. I would also like to make bread for my dozen kids one day.
However, the conservative political narrative that women must be stay-at-home moms is not reflective of scriptural teachings.
Proverbs 31:10–31 describes “The Woman Who Fears the Lord,” who is said in verse 10 to be “far more precious than jewels.” The first three verses, 10–12, describe the nature of a good relationship between man and wife, one filled with trust and service.
The next section, verses 13–24, describes the behaviors of this ideal woman.
The woman portrayed in verses 13–15 fits the image young conservatives find appealing: a woman who makes clothes for her family, collects food and prepares it for her household, and finds joy in her service. Young men and women grasp these verses while watching trad wife and homesteading reels on Instagram.
While providing necessities like this is an expectation of a biblical wife, the description does not end with her using their resources to maintain a home. Scripture expects her to conduct business and earn money outside the home to support it.
Verses 16–24 portray a woman who is active outside the home. She purchases land and cultivates it, pursues physical strength and health, creates products and sells them, and helps the needy in her community. Her role is not only in the home. In fact, it necessitates leaving.
Leavitt is a great example of this. She continued to work in this position after the birth of her kids, as it worked for her family.
However, she is working with intention: Leavitt is not leaving the workforce entirely, but forging a path that lets her serve her country and family best.
“Karoline will now be one of my top outside advisors, and an influential voice within the Republican Party, as we work to defy History, and conclusively win the Midterm Elections,” continued President Trump on Truth Social. “Karoline has been a real leader in the White House, and has done a phenomenal job fighting for Justice, Liberty, and Freedom, since 2018, including our Historic Re-Election Campaign of 2024. Karoline has been one of the best White House Press Secretaries in the History of the Office. Thank you, Karoline, for a job well done!”
Leavitt figured out what worked for her and her family at this time, and she did it. This move is an example of biblical balance.
I can understand why some conservative Christian women of my generation want to be housewives. We grew up in the throes of fourth-wave feminism, teaching women to reject their God-given traits in favor of the corporate image of masculinity. We’ve been forced into a role we could never fill, and the chronic stress of feminist work culture is destroying our mental health.
Similarly, I can understand some men wanting a housewife as they navigate a man-defeating culture. The imagery of a 1950s housewife — a dress-wearing woman with carefully styled hair, a clean home, a plate of hot food, and a warm smile — is intoxicating to men starved for healthy femininity as the majority of Gen Z women embrace modern feminism and liberalism.
This is why young Christians cannot look to the world’s culture for fulfillment. Whether that culture is politically conservative or liberal does not matter. Peace can only be found in the Word of God.
What stands out in Proverbs 31 is the mutual respect shown between man and wife. Proverbs shows a man trusting in his wife and praising her. A woman is encouraged to serve her family and community in both care and business, and her husband is elevated as a result.
To young women, I say: use Scripture as your roadmap. Serve your family through care and work. Find ways to serve your community. Listen to the lessons of Proverbs 31:25–31 and clothe yourself in strength and dignity, be kind with your words, and fear nothing but the Lord.
And to men: do not give up hope on women. Be the leaders God asks you to be. Value the role God has truly given her, and you will see Christian women respond in kind.
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Olivia D’Angelo is a policy analyst, writer, and strategic project coordinator for Students for Life of America, studying biblical leadership at Fruitland Baptist Bible College. Follow her on X: @olivia_dangelo
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