President-elect Donald Trump announced on Friday that Karoline Leavitt, his campaign press secretary, would be appointed as the White House press secretary.
At 27, Leavitt, who currently serves as a spokesperson for Trump’s transition team, will become the youngest person ever to hold the role. The previous record was held by Ronald Ziegler, who was 29 when he became press secretary in 1969 under President Richard Nixon.
“Karoline Leavitt did an outstanding job as National Press Secretary for my Historic Campaign, and I am excited to announce she will serve as White House Press Secretary,” Trump said in a statement.
“She is smart, tough, and an effective communicator. I have complete confidence that she will thrive at the podium and help us deliver our message to the American people as we Make America Great Again.”
Leavitt responded on X (formerly Twitter), saying, “Thank you, President Trump, for believing in me. I am humbled and honored. Let’s MAGA,” referring to the slogan “Make America Great Again.”
The White House press secretary is usually the administration’s public spokesperson and traditionally holds daily briefings with the press.
During his first term, Trump broke with traditional norms, often choosing to act as his own primary spokesperson. From 2017 to 2021, he had four different press secretaries, but he often bypassed them, opting instead to communicate directly with the public through rallies, social media, and his own briefings.
At a press conference in August, Trump was asked whether his new administration would hold regular press briefings. He responded, “I will give you full access, and there will be plenty of press briefings, and you’ll hear from me a lot.”
Regarding the role of a press secretary, he added, “They’ll probably do something. If it’s not daily, it’ll still be often. You’ll have more than you need.”
Leavitt, a native of New Hampshire, is known as a strong and media-savvy defender of Trump, quick with her responses and delivering assertive defenses of the former president during TV interviews.
Before joining Trump’s 2024 campaign, Leavitt worked as a spokesperson for MAGA Inc., a super PAC backing Trump. In 2022, she ran for Congress in New Hampshire, winning a competitive Republican primary but ultimately losing to incumbent Democratic Rep. Chris Pappas.
Leavitt also has experience in the White House press office during Trump’s first term and later served as communications director for Rep. Elise Stefanik, a New York Republican whom Trump has nominated to be his U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.
Trump’s earlier press secretaries—Sean Spicer, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, and Stephanie Grisham—were all known for their contentious relationships with the media. Grisham, notably, never held a briefing, while Sanders and Spicer often clashed with reporters. Kayleigh McEnany, Grisham’s successor, was known for frequently challenging the media during her briefings in the White House press room.