Karoline Leavitt, campaign press secretary for former President Donald Trump, speaks to reporters outside of Trump’s criminal trial in New York on May 28. Leavitt will be the youngest person to ever serve as chief White House spokesperson.
Seth Wenig/AP
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Seth Wenig/AP
President-elect Donald Trump has chosen longtime aide and media personality Karoline Leavitt to be his White House press secretary and publicly deliver his administration’s message upon his return to the Oval Office.
Leavitt has become a prominent face of the Trump team, serving as national press secretary for the campaign and now for the transition team. She is also an alumnus of the president-elect’s first administration at the White House, where she worked as deputy press secretary.
“Karoline is intelligent, tough and has proven to be a very effective communicator,” Trump said in a statement. “I am confident she will excel on the podium and help us deliver our message to the American people.“
At 27, Leavitt will be the youngest person to serve as chief White House spokesperson. This position has not been held by anyone under the age of 30 since the administration of former President Richard Nixon in 1969.
The new press secretary has experience on Capitol Hill, having previously worked as communications director for New York Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik, whom Trump recently nominated to be an ambassador to the UN.
Leavitt also nearly served in Congress. Originally from New Hampshire, she ran in a New Hampshire competitive districtwinning his Republican primary but ultimately failing to unseat the Democratic incumbent.
If she had won, Leavitt would have been one of first members of Generation Z to serve in Congress and the first woman of this generation.
Leavitt championed Trump’s unique appeal to young voters throughout his tenure as campaign spokesperson.
“The president has a message that resonates with young people,” Leavitt said. NPR during an interview in September. “If you want to live the American dream, to be able to afford a house, to lower the cost of gas, of groceries, of rent, and if you want to be able to afford to start a family, then there is only one option to vote for.
Even though voters under the age of 30 have still largely sided with Vice President Harris this year, Democrats lost serious groundand Trump made progress compared to 2020 and 2016. The economy and jobs were also cited as top issues for young Americans in voting, according to leave the Associated Press poll.
When Leavitt spoke with NPR in September, Harris’ campaign had benefited from a multitude of viral Internet media. This is something Leavitt dismissed.
“Young people care about politics,” she said. “Young people are in trouble right now.”