The United States President-elect, Donald Trump, has appointed Karoline Leavitt as his White House press secretary.
At 27, Leavitt becomes the youngest person in US history to hold the role, breaking the record of Ronald Ziegler, who was 29 when he served under President Richard Nixon in 1969.
Trump praised Leavitt’s work during his campaign, saying, “Karoline Leavitt did a phenomenal job as the National Press Secretary on my Historic Campaign, and I am pleased to announce she will serve as White House Press Secretary. Karoline is smart, tough, and has proven to be a highly effective communicator. I have the utmost confidence she will excel at the podium and help deliver our message to the American People as we Make America Great Again.”
Leavitt expressed her gratitude on X, writing, “Thank you, President Trump, for believing in me. I am humbled and honoured. Let’s MAGA.”
Leavitt, from New Hampshire, has been known for her strong defence of Trump during television interviews. She previously worked as a spokesperson for MAGA Inc., a super PAC supporting Trump, and served in the White House press office during Trump’s first term. She also ran for Congress in New Hampshire in 2022 but lost in the general election.
Trump’s press secretaries during his first term adopted different styles. Sean Spicer and Sarah Huckabee Sanders had frequent clashes with reporters, while Stephanie Grisham held no briefings, and Kayleigh McEnany often used her platform to challenge the media.
Traditionally, the press secretary speaks for the administration and holds daily press briefings. However, Trump often disrupted this norm, choosing to communicate directly through social media, rallies, and his own briefings. When asked in August about press briefings in his upcoming term, Trump said, “You’ll have a lot of press briefings and you’ll have, uh, from me.”
