President-elect Donald Trump has selected 27-year-old Karoline Leavitt as his White House press secretary.
Leavitt, who will become the youngest individual to hold the role, has experienced a rapid ascent in Republican politics. Her career began as a student assistant for Fox News during Trump’s 2016 campaign and has since flourished.
In his announcement, Trump expressed confidence in Leavitt’s abilities. “She is smart, tough, and has proven to be a highly effective communicator,” he said. “I have the utmost confidence she will excel at the podium and help deliver our message to the American people.”
Speaking on a Fox News podcast, Leavitt said,
“There are a lot of journalists who aren’t interested in journalism anymore, and we deal with them every day. I hate to call them ‘fake news,’ but it’s true,” she said.
Leavitt’s connection with Trump dates back to her university days at Saint Anselm College in New Hampshire. During the 2016 Republican primary debate held on her campus and broadcast by Fox News, she served as an assistant.
“As one of the lone conservatives on campus, they appointed me to assist Fox News during that event. Running around backstage, I realized what I wanted to do with my career,” she recalled on the “The Untold Story” podcast.
Her passion for conservative values was evident during her college years, where she wrote an opinion piece for the student newspaper titled “Why Donald Trump Just Keeps on Winning and the Media Doesn’t Get It.” In it, she challenged the prevalent “identity politics” narrative on campus. “I don’t believe the color of your skin or your gender can hold you back in this country. That belief is the foundation of my conservatism,” she explained in a later interview.
After serving as an assistant press secretary in Trump’s first administration, Leavitt continued to build her political career. Following Trump’s 2020 election loss, she ran for a New Hampshire congressional seat in 2022, although her bid was unsuccessful. She also served as communications director for Congresswoman Elise Stefanik, who has been nominated by Trump for the role of UN ambassador.
Throughout the 2024 campaign, she was a constant press
nce, serving as his spokeswoman at rallies and court appearances. Her ability to juggle personal and professional commitments also drew attention, particularly when she took just nine days off after giving birth to her son during the campaign.
Leavitt noted that Trump has grown more attuned to the workings of Washington politics. “I think he is wiser about the ‘deep state’ and the lengths the establishment in Washington, DC, will go to derail his campaign and his success,” she remarked.
