Trump Appoints Karoline Leavitt as White House Press Secretary: A Bold Move or Controversial Choice?
President-elect Donald Trump has selected Karoline Leavitt, his campaign spokesperson, to serve as White House Press Secretary in his upcoming administration.
"Karoline did an outstanding job as National Press Secretary during my historic campaign, and I am excited to announce that she will take on the role of White House Press Secretary," Trump said in a statement on Friday evening.
"She is intelligent, resilient, and has proven herself to be an exceptionally skilled communicator. I am confident she will perform brilliantly at the podium and play a key role in delivering our message to the American people as we work to Make America Great Again."
At 27, Leavitt will become the youngest White House press secretary in U.S. history, surpassing Ron Ziegler, who held the position at age 29 during the Nixon administration from 1969 to 1974.
"The American people re-elected President Trump by a resounding margin, giving him a mandate to implement the promises he made on the campaign trail — and his Cabinet picks reflect his priority to put America First. President Trump will continue to appoint highly qualified men and women who have the talent, experience and necessary skill sets to Make America Great Again," Leavitt told Fox News Digital when asked about Trump's speedy roll-out of Cabinet picks earlier this week.
Leavitt, who served as the national press secretary for Trump’s campaign, was a key figure in rallying support for the former president while fiercely defending him against attacks from the Harris campaign and Democrats.
"They forced him to take a mugshot. They tried to remove his name from the ballot. They made him sit in a dirty courthouse for six weeks. Two people even tried to kill him, for goodness sake," Leavitt said last week on *Fox & Friends* after the election. "And what the American people see in Donald Trump is a clear leader who, even in the darkest of times, will raise his fist and say, 'Fight, fight, fight' for this country."
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Leavitt also emphasized that democracy was a key issue for voters, noting, "It’s clear the American people believe President Trump is the best candidate to preserve our democracy. The Democrats' messaging in the final weeks of the campaign, trying to paint him as a threat to democracy, just didn’t resonate with the public."
Before her role as national press secretary, Leavitt worked as assistant press secretary during Kayleigh McEnany’s tenure in Trump’s first administration. In 2022, the New Hampshire native ran for Congress, securing the Republican nomination in the state’s 1st Congressional District but falling short in the general election.
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As speculation swirled about Trump’s press secretary pick, several names were considered, including legal spokeswoman Alina Habba, longtime Trump adviser Jason Miller, campaign spokesman Steven Cheung, and CNN contributor Scott Jennings. Trump ultimately appointed Cheung as communications director earlier Friday. Other potential candidates included former ESPN host Sage Steele, RNC spokeswoman Elizabeth Pipko, and former Trump administration official Monica Crowley.
In 2016, Trump’s first press secretary was Sean Spicer, who served from January 20, 2017, to July of that year. Trump’s subsequent press secretaries included Sarah Huckabee Sanders, Stephanie Grisham, and Kayleigh McEnany.
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Trump’s second administration is taking shape more swiftly than his first, with more than 20 key appointments made just over a week after Election Day. High-profile picks include Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. to head the Department of Health and Human Services, Senator Marco Rubio to lead the State Department, and Representative Matt Gaetz as attorney general.
Leavitt spoke to *Fox News Digital* about Trump’s rapid Cabinet rollout, saying, "The American people re-elected President Trump by a resounding margin, giving him a mandate to fulfill the promises he made on the campaign trail. His Cabinet picks reflect his commitment to putting America First. President Trump will continue to appoint highly qualified individuals who have the skills and experience to Make America Great Again."
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