Karoline Leavitt (pictured) has just been appointed as White House Press Secretary in the new administration of US President-elect Donald Trump. At the age of 27, she is the youngest person in US history to hold this position.
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According to AFP, on November 16, President-elect Donald Trump appointed Karoline Leavitt as White House Press Secretary. In a statement, Mr. Trump said: “Karoline Leavitt did an extraordinary job as National Press Secretary during my historic campaign and I am pleased to announce that she will take over as White House Press Secretary. She is smart, tough and has proven herself to be an extremely effective communicator. I have every confidence that she will excel on the podium and help deliver our message to the American people as we make America great again." As soon as the announcement was posted, on social network X, Leavitt shared: "Thank you President Trump for believing in me. I am honored. Let's make America great again." In her new position, Leavitt becomes a White House press secretary of the Gen Z generation (young people born from the late 20th century to the early 21st century). At the age of 27, she is also the youngest person in US history to hold this position. Previously, the title of youngest White House press secretary belonged to Ronald Ziegler, who held this position under the administration of President Richard Nixon in 1969, at the age of 29. Karoline Leavitt is originally from New Hampshire. Her family runs a small business with an ice cream shop and a used truck dealership. Leavitt used to follow studied communications and political science at Saint Anselm College in Manchester, New Hampshire. During her undergraduate studies, she worked part-time at WMUR-TV. Leavitt began her career as a summer intern in the Office of Presidential Correspondence at the White House before her senior year. After graduating with a bachelor's degree, she worked in the office before moving to the White House Press Office as an assistant press secretary during the first term of the Trump administration. "It has been the honor of my life to serve President Trump and meet so many wonderful people along the way," Leavitt said in a photo posted in the Oval Office in January 2021. In early 2021, she became communications director for New York congresswoman Elise Stefanik. She also served as a spokesperson for the “Make America Great Again” campaign, supporting Trump before running for president in 2024. In 2022, Leavitt ran for the House of Representatives as a Republican representing New Hampshire’s 1st Congressional District. She won the Republican primary but ultimately lost to incumbent Democratic candidate Chris Pappas. Still, Leavitt made history as the second Gen Z to win a House primary that year, after Maxwell Frost, now a Florida congressman. Trump later praised Leavitt’s victory in New Hampshire, describing her as having “tremendous energy and intellect.” Commenting on Karoline Leavitt becoming White House Press Secretary, Sebastian Gorka - one of two candidates being considered as Mr. Trump's Deputy National Security Advisor - said: "Karoline is one of the most trusted associates of the President-elect. You can see that through the fact that she is trusted to deliver some of the most important announcements related to the new government." According to AFP, the White House Press Secretary often acts as a representative of the current US administration and will hold daily press briefings for the press corps. During his tenure as US President from 2017 to 2021, Mr. Trump had 4 press secretaries but he often preferred to communicate directly with the public through rallies, social media posts and private press conferences. Therefore, by proactively appointing the position of Press Secretary and highly appreciating Karoline Leavitt, Mr. Trump is said to have broken his principles during his first term.
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