Trump picks Karoline Leavitt as youngest-ever White House press ...
Donald Trump has appointed Karoline Leavitt as his White House spokesperson, the youngest person ever to take on the role.
The 27-year-old was his campaign press secretary during his bid to be re-elected for a second term as US president.
Now she will take on the job of White House Press Secretary when Trump enters office, charged with informing the American people about presidential activities without betraying the confidence of her boss.
Announcing his appointment, Trump said: “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.”
In response, Leavitt replied on X: “Thank you, President Trump, for believing in me.
“I am humbled and honored.
“Let’s MAGA!”
Karoline Leavitt will become the youngest ever White House spokesperson (Photo: Doug Mills/POOL/AFP/Getty)She is two years younger than Ronald Ziegler, who took on the same position in 1969 in Richard Nixon’s administration aged 29.
A graduate in communications and political science, she was an intern for the US conservative news and political commentary television channel Fox News.
She told Politico in 2020 this gave her the “first glimpse into the world of press”.
Raised a Catholic, she credits her Catholic schooling for instilling in her pro-life values.
Trump advisers say Leavitt has found established her place at the heart of his White House team after proving to be an ardent defender of him in interviews.
She has earned a reputation as someone who is quick-thinking and prepared to deliver aggressive defences of the Republican in television interviews.
She clashed with CNN Kaisie Hunt in June this year over whether the planned televised debate between Trump and Biden would be a “hostile environment” for the Republican candidate.
Her criticism of the news channel’s appoint moderators eventually led to the interview being terminated.
She was also by Trump’s side during his “hush-money” criminal trial in Manhattan in spring this year.
Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt in the background as Donald Trump speaks to the media during his criminal trial at Manhattan Criminal Court in New York City, on May 30 (Photo: Michael M. Santiago/Pool /AFP/Getty)And just days after giving birth to her son in July this year, she returned to work on the campaign trail after a gunman shot at her boss during a rally in Pennsylvania.
She said at the time: “The president literally put his life on the line to win this election.
“The least I could do is get back to work quickly.”
She has had a long association with Trump, having worked as an assistant press secretary during the latter part of his first term in office from 2017 to 2021.
However, she has previously shown to have political ambitions of her own.
When Trump was defeated by Joe Biden in 2020, Leavitt initially became communications director for Republican US Representative Elise Stefanik, who has now been picked as US ambassador to the United Nations.
In 2022 she ran for a seat in the US House of Representatives for New Hampshire, winning the Republican primary and becoming the youngest female nominee.
As a candidate, Leavitt aligned herself with Trump and denied the results of the 2020 presidential election.
She eventually lost the general election to Democrat Chris Pappas and joined the Trump campaign, carrying out much of her work while pregnant.
Trump had four press secretaries during his 2017-2021 term in office: Sean Spicer, Sarah Sanders, Stephanie Grisham and Kayleigh McEnany.
Spicer fell foul of the White House press corps at his first appearance in January 2017, when he falsely claimed the crowd gathered in Washington for Trump’s inauguration was “the largest audience to ever witness an inauguration, period, both in person and around the globe”.
Photographs proved otherwise and the uproar continued for days. Spicer eventually lost the confidence of the President and was replaced by Sarah Sanders. She is now the Republican governor of Arkansas. After Sanders left, Trump appointed Stephanie Grisham.
Her tenure was marked out by never holding a briefing, which she said was at Trump’s direction. Grisham resigned after the events of 6 January 2021 and is now a sharp critic of Trump.
