“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 US 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.
