Karoline Leavitt named as Donald Trump’s White House press secretary

Donald Trump named his White House press secretary on Friday, placing Karoline Leavitt, a 27-year-old firebrand from his inner circle, in position to aggressively defend him.

The job of the White House press secretary typically is to help inform the American people about presidential activities without betraying the confidence of the boss.

“Karoline is smart, tough, and has proven to be a highly effective communicator. I have the utmost confidence she will excel at the podium ..., ” the statement read.

The challenge for Leavitt will be to impart reliable information and gain credibility with reporters, while maintaining strong loyalty to Trump.

Leavitt will be the youngest person ever to hold the title of White House press secretary. Ron Ziegler was previously the youngest press secretary at age 29 when Richard Nixon gave him the position in 1969.

Leavitt, from New Hampshire, was an assistant press secretary during the latter part of Trump’s first term, from 2017 to 2021.

When Trump was defeated by Joe Biden in 2020, Leavitt became communications director for Elise Stefanik, the Republican US representative, who has been tapped by Trump as his US ambassador to the United Nations.

Leavitt ran for a seat in the US House of Representatives from New Hampshire in 2022, winning the Republican primary. She lost the general election to Democrat Chris Pappas, but the experience appeared to give her valuable experience with public speaking.

She joined Trump’s 2024 campaign and has been the chief spokesperson for the president-elect’s transition team.