New Hampshire
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump on Friday named Karoline Leavitt, his campaign press secretary, as his White House press secretary.
The 27-year-old Leavitt, currently Trump's transition spokesman, could be the youngest White House press secretary in history. Previously, this award went to Ronald Ziegler, who was 29 years old when he took the position in Richard Nixon's administration in 1969.
“Karoline Leavitt did a phenomenal job as national press secretary on my historic campaign, and I am pleased to announce that she will serve as White House press secretary,” Trump said in an announcement. “Karoline is smart, tough and has proven to be an extremely effective communicator. I have every confidence that she will excel at the podium and help convey our message to the American people as we make America great again.”
The White House press secretary typically serves as the general public face of the administration and has historically held every day briefings for the press corps.
Trump broke these norms in his first term, preferring to function his own chief spokesman. During his term as president from 2017 to 2021, Trump had 4 press secretaries but often preferred to interact directly with the general public, through his rallies, social media posts and his own briefings.
At a press conference last August, Trump was asked whether he would hold regular press conferences in his recent administration. He told reporters: “I'm going to give you full access and you're going to get a lot of press conferences and you're going to, uh, from me.”
When it got here to a press secretary, he said: “They will probably do something. If it's not daily, it will be a lot. You’ll have more than you want.”
Leavitt, a New Hampshire native, is seen as a staunch and camera-ready Trump advocate who’s quick on her feet and aggressively defends the Republican in television interviews.
She worked as a spokeswoman for MAGA Inc., a brilliant PAC that supports Trump, before joining his 2024 campaign. In 2022, she ran for Congress in New Hampshire, winning a ten-member Republican primary before losing to Democratic incumbent Rep. Chris Pappas.
During Trump's first term, Leavitt worked within the White House press office. She then became communications director for Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik of New York, whom Trump tapped to be his U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.
Trump's first press secretaries, Sean Spicer and Sarah Huckabee Sanders, were known for arguing with reporters. Another, Stephanie Grisham, never held a briefing. Her successor, Kayleigh McEnany, incessantly addressed the news media during her appearances within the White House press conference room.
image credit : www.boston.com