President-elect Donald Trump has appointed Karoline Leavitt, his campaign press secretary, to be the White House press secretary. At 27 years old, Leavitt will become the youngest person to hold this position in history, surpassing Ronald Ziegler, who was 29 when he served in Richard Nixon’s administration.
In a statement, Trump praised Leavitt for her exceptional work as the National Press Secretary during his campaign and expressed confidence in her ability to excel in her new role. Leavitt, in response, thanked President Trump for his belief in her and expressed her eagerness to contribute to the administration’s efforts to “Make America Great Again.”
Traditionally, the White House press secretary is the primary spokesperson for the administration and conducts daily briefings for the press corps. However, Trump chose to deviate from this practice during his first term by personally handling most of the communication with the public. Despite having four press secretaries during his tenure, Trump preferred direct engagement through rallies, social media, and personal briefings.
Leavitt, originally from New Hampshire, is known for her strong advocacy for Trump and her ability to deliver assertive defenses of the Republican Party in media appearances. Prior to joining Trump’s 2024 campaign, she worked as a spokesperson for MAGA Inc., a super PAC supporting the former president. In 2022, she ran for Congress in New Hampshire and won a competitive Republican primary but ultimately lost to the Democratic incumbent.
During Trump’s first term, Leavitt worked in the White House press office and later served as the communications director for New York Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik, who has been nominated as the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. Previous press secretaries under Trump, such as Sean Spicer and Sarah Huckabee Sanders, were known for their contentious relationships with the media, while Stephanie Grisham avoided press briefings altogether. Kayleigh McEnany, who succeeded Grisham, often clashed with journalists during White House press briefings.
Looking ahead, it remains to be seen how Leavitt will navigate her role as the White House press secretary in an administration that values direct communication from the president. Trump has promised increased access and more press briefings in the future, suggesting that Leavitt may have a challenging yet prominent position in shaping the administration’s messaging to the American people.
