President-elect Donald Trump has appointed 27-year-old Karoline Leavitt as his White House press secretary.
In a statement, Trump praised Leavitt as “smart, tough, and a highly effective communicator,” expressing full confidence that she will thrive in the role. “I have the utmost confidence she will excel at the podium and help deliver our message to the American people,” he added.
Leavitt will become one of the youngest individuals to hold the prestigious position, where she will serve as the public face of the White House and field questions from the press.
Before her appointment, Leavitt served as national press secretary for Trump’s 2020 campaign. Despite giving birth to her first child in July, just months before the election, she remained an integral part of the campaign’s communications team. Leavitt also worked as an assistant press secretary during Trump’s first term in office.
In 2022, Leavitt ran for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives from her home state of New Hampshire, though she was not successful in her bid. She has also worked as communications director for Congresswoman Elise Stefanik, whom Trump has nominated to serve as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations.
Speaking to newsmen, Leavitt shared her background, noting that she didn’t come from a political family. “I grew up like most Americans, in a middle-class business family here in New Hampshire,” she said. “I just dove into politics at my college, Saint Anselm College, in Manchester, New Hampshire.”
Her appointment marks a new chapter in her political career, and she is set to play a central role in the administration’s communications strategy.
