US President-elect Donald Trump on Friday announced that Karoline Leavitt, his campaign press secretary, will serve as his White House press secretary, making her the youngest person ever to hold the position. At 27, Leavitt will surpass the previous record held by Ronald Ziegler, who was 29 when he became press secretary during Richard Nixon's administration in 1969. "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," Trump said in a statement. "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 posted on X (formerly Twitter): "Thank you, President Trump, for believing in me. I am humbled and honored. Let's MAGA." As press secretary, Leavitt will become the public face of the administration, a role historically involving daily press briefings. However, Trump disrupted these norms during his first term, often preferring to communicate directly with the public through rallies, social media posts, and personal briefings. When asked in August whether regular press briefings would be held in his new administration, Trump stated, "I will give you total access, and you'll have a lot of press briefings and you'll have, uh, from me." He added, "Probably they'll do something. If it's not daily, it's going to be a lot. You'll have more than you want." Leavitt, a New Hampshire native, is known for her strong defense of Trump and her quick-witted responses in television interviews. Before joining his 2024 campaign, she worked as a spokesperson for MAGA Inc., the super PAC supporting Trump. In 2022, she ran for Congress in New Hampshire, winning a crowded Republican primary before losing to incumbent Democratic Rep. Chris Pappas. Leavitt also served in the White House press office during Trump's first term and later worked as communications director for Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik, whom Trump has nominated as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. Trump's previous press secretaries, including Sean Spicer, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, and Stephanie Grisham, each faced varying levels of public scrutiny, with Grisham notably never holding a briefing. Kayleigh McEnany, who succeeded Grisham, frequently took a combative stance with the media during her appearances. — Agencies
