The White House Press Secretary of the Donald Trump 2.0 administration has debuted. Trump’s former White House intern, the 27-year-old Karoline Leavitt, has made history by becoming the youngest White House press secretary in US history.
Leavitt, who made her debut in the briefing room this week, echoed her boss’ inaugural speech, declaring that “the golden age of America has most definitely begun.”
Karoline, who previously worked in Trump’s first administration, hosted her first press conference from the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room on Tuesday, January 28. Here’s what you need to know about the youngest Press Secretary of the US.
Who is Karoline Leavitt?
Born in 1997, Karoline Claire Leavitt is an American political aide and government official who is serving as the 36th White House press secretary since January 2025 under President Donald Trump. She previously served as the national press secretary for Donald Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign and was an assistant press secretary and presidential writer during the first Donald Trump administration as well as a spokesperson for MAGA Inc., a pro-Trump Super PAC.
In 2022, she ran for the U.S. House of Representatives in New Hampshire’s 1st district, winning the Republican nomination before losing in the general election to Democratic incumbent Chris Pappas.
Early life:
Leavitt was born in Atkinson, New Hampshire, where she was raised in the Catholic faith. She attended Central Catholic High School in Lawrence, Massachusetts and then attended Saint Anselm College on a scholarship for NCAA Division II college softball. She graduated in 2019 with a BA in communications and political science.
Brush with Politics:
During her education at Saint Anselm College, Leavitt interned at Fox News. She was outspoken on campus about her support for the Trump administration. Her op-eds in the school newspaper include a defense of Trump’s travel ban and a critique of the news media.
The summer before her senior year of college, she interned in the White House Office of Presidential Correspondence. She returned briefly after her 2019 graduation, before joining the White House Press Office as an assistant press secretary under Kayleigh McEnany.
Following the conclusion of the first Trump administration, she was hired as the communications director for Republican U.S. representative Elise Stefanik from New York.
Net worth:
Leavitt is the youngest person to hold the post since Ron Ziegler, who was 29 when hired as President Nixon’s top press official. Even before turning 30, Leavitt has made a name for herself and acquired quite a fortune. Her estimated net worth of close to $6 million. As the White House Press Secretary, her salary is expected to be around $180,000, which was the salary of her predecessor, Karine Jean-Pierre.
