For a position that has always been occupied by much older people, the appointment of 27-year-old Karoline Leavitt by President Donald Trump into a senior white house role as Press Secretary on January 20, 2025, represents a new generation of leadership within the U.S. government.
A press secretary is an official whose primary responsibility is to act as a spokesperson for the executive branch of the United States federal government, especially about the president, senior aides and executives, as well as government policies.
The press secretary is responsible for collecting information about actions and events within the president’s administration and issues the administration’s reactions to developments around the world. The press secretary interacts with the media.
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Karoline Claire Leavitt was born on August 24, 1997, in Atkinson, New Hampshire, Her family owned an ice cream shop and a used truck dealership in nearby Plaistow. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in communications and political science from Saint Anselm College in 2019. During her college years, she interned at Fox News and the White House Office of Presidential Correspondence, experiences that laid the foundation for her future in political communications.
Leavitt’s career in politics began as an assistant press secretary and presidential writer during President Trump’s first term. Following the 2020 election, she served as the communications director for Republican U.S. Representative Elise Stefanik. In 2022, Leavitt ran for Congress in New Hampshire’s 1st district, securing the Republican nomination but losing in the general election to incumbent Democrat Chris Pappas.
In January 2024, she was appointed as the national press secretary for Donald Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign. Her tenure was marked by assertive media engagements, including a notable incident where she was removed from a CNN broadcast for challenging the network’s debate moderators.
On November 15, 2024, President-elect Trump announced Leavitt as his choice for White House Press Secretary, praising her as “smart and tough.” She officially assumed the role on January 20, 2025, becoming the youngest individual to hold the position.
Leavitt is married to Nicholas Riccio, a real estate developer. The couple welcomed their first child in July 2024. Demonstrating her dedication, Leavitt returned to the campaign trail just days after giving birth, especially following an attempted assassination of Donald Trump on July 13, 2024.
Leavitt held her inaugural press briefing as White House Press Secretary on January 28, 2025, spending approximately 47 minutes addressing questions from the press corps.
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