White House’s youngest press secretary Karoline Leavitt made her debut in the briefing room on Tuesday, saying that “the golden age of America has most definitely begun.”
“As you have seen during the past week, President Trump is hard at work fulfilling the promises that he made to the American people on the campaign trail,” Leavitt said as she stepped into the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room shortly after 1 p.m. ET.
During the briefing, Leavitt said that she plans to hold briefings frequently and said that Trump and the White House would be available to all media outlets as well as “new media voices who produce related content” such as “independent journalists, podcasters, social media influencers and content creators.”
“I can assure you that you’ll be hearing from both him and me as much as possible,” she said.
Here’s what to know about Leavitt, who, at 27 years old, is the youngest White House press secretary in U.S. history.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt holds her first news conference in the Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House on January 28, 2025 in Washington, DC. At 27 years old, Leavitt is the youngest White House press secretary in U.S. history.
Who is Karoline Leavitt? Age, hometown
Leavitt is a 27-year-old New Hampshire native, who previously served as a spokesperson for the Trump 2024 presidential campaign. She was one of the early hires for the campaign, which had multiple spokespeople. Leavitt, who recently had a baby, was the most visible on television.
Leavitt replaces Ronald Ziegler, who was previously the youngest press secretary at 29, when he took the position in 1969 under Richard Nixon’s administration.
What does the White House press secretary do?
The White House press secretary serves as the public face of the administration and historically has held daily briefings for the press corps.
Sean Spicer, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, Stephanie Grisham and Kayleigh McEnany had previously served as Trump’s press secretaries during his first administration.
What did Trump say about Karoline Leavitt?
President Donald Trump, with White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, speaks to reporters on Air Force One on Jan. 27, 2025.
While announcing Leavitt as the press secretary back in November, Trump in a statement, had described her as “smart, tough,” and “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,” Trump had said.
Karoline Leavitt career
During Trump’s first administration, Leavitt interned at the White House and joined Trump’s team after graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree in politics and communication from Saint Anselm College in New Hampshire. At the White House, Leavitt worked as a presidential writer and assistant press secretary under McEnany.
In 2022, Leavitt ran for Congress in New Hampshire. She won the GOP primary at the age of 25, but lost to the Democratic incumbent, USA TODAY previously reported.
Leavitt was the first Republican from Gen Z to win a House primary. Before running for Congress, she worked for Rep. Elise Stefanik, a New York Republican and Trump’s UN Ambassador nominee.
Karoline Leavitt family
Leavitt shares a son, Nicholas Robert, who was born last year in July amid the election campaign with her husband Nick, a self-employed businessman. Leavitt told The Conservateur magazine that she jumped back to work four days after giving birth because she “felt compelled to be present in this historic moment.”
“The president literally put his life on the line to win this election,” Leavitt told the magazine. “The least I could do is get back to work quickly.”
Contributing: Zac Anderson, USA TODAY
Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at [email protected] and follow her on X and Instagram @saman_shafiq7.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Who is Karoline Leavitt? The White House’s youngest press secretary
