WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump on Friday named Karoline Leavitt, his marketing campaign press secretary, to function his White Home press secretary.
Leavitt, 27, presently a spokesperson for Trump’s transition, could be the youngest White Home press secretary in historical past. Beforehand that distinction went to Ronald Ziegler, who was 29 when he took the place in 1969 in Richard Nixon’s administration.
“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 mentioned in an announcement. “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.”
The White Home press secretary usually serves as the general public face of the administration and traditionally has held every day briefings for the press corps.
Trump disrupted these norms in his first time period, preferring to function his personal chief spokesperson. Whereas he was president from 2017 to 2021, Trump had 4 press secretaries however regularly most well-liked to interact straight with the general public, from his rallies, social media posts and his personal briefings.
At a information convention this previous August, Trump was requested if he’d have common press briefings in his new administration. He instructed reporters, “I will give you total access and you’ll have a lot of press briefings and you’ll have, uh, from me.”
When it got here to a press secretary, he mentioned: “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 seen as a staunch and camera-ready advocate for Trump who’s fast on her ft and delivers aggressive defenses of the Republican in tv interviews.
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She labored as a spokesperson for MAGA Inc., an excellent PAC supporting Trump, earlier than becoming a member of his 2024 marketing campaign. In 2022, she ran for Congress in New Hampshire, successful a 10-way Republican main earlier than shedding to incumbent Democratic Rep. Chris Pappas.
Throughout Trump’s first time period in workplace, Leavitt labored within the White Home press workplace. She then grew to become communications director for New York Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik, whom Trump has tapped to function his U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.
Trump’s first press secretaries, Sean Spicer and Sarah Huckabee Sanders, have been recognized for quarreling with reporters. One other, Stephanie Grisham, by no means held a briefing. Her successor, Kayleigh McEnany, typically lectured the information media throughout her appearances within the White Home press briefing room.
