Karoline Leavitt

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Karoline Leavitt
Leavitt in 2025
36th White House Press Secretary
Incumbent
Assumed office
January 20, 2025
PresidentDonald Trump
DeputyAnna Kelly
Kush Desai
Preceded byKarine Jean-Pierre
Personal details
Born
Karoline Claire Leavitt

(1997-08-24) August 24, 1997 (age 27)
Atkinson, New Hampshire, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
SpouseNicholas Riccio
Children1
EducationSaint Anselm College (BA)

Karoline Claire Leavitt (born August 24, 1997)[1] is an American political aide and government official who has been serving as the 36th White House press secretary in the second Trump administration since January 2025. She is the youngest White House press secretary in history and the highest-ranking member of Generation Z to serve in the executive branch of the United States federal government.[2]

Leavitt was a presidential writer and assistant press secretary during the first Trump administration. 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.[3] She was a spokesperson for MAGA Inc., a pro-Trump Super PAC,[4] and she served as the national press secretary for Donald Trump's 2024 presidential campaign.[5]

Early life and education

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Karoline Claire Leavitt[6] was born in Atkinson, New Hampshire, where she was raised Catholic.[7] Her family owned an ice cream shop and a used truck dealership in Plaistow, New Hampshire.[8][7] She attended Central Catholic High School in nearby Lawrence, Massachusetts, graduating in 2015, then attended Saint Anselm College[9][1] on a scholarship for NCAA Division II college softball.[10]

During her college years, Leavitt became politically active with outspoken support for the first Trump presidency. Her op-eds in the college newspaper include a defense of Trump's 2017 travel ban and a critique of the news media.[11][12][13] She founded Saint Anselm College's first broadcasting club.[13] While in college, Leavitt worked at Hearst Television WMUR-TV.[9][14] She graduated in 2019 with a bachelor's degree in communications and politics, the first in her immediate family to earn a college degree.[15]

Career

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During her education at Saint Anselm College, Leavitt interned at Fox News.[16] The summer before her senior year of college, she interned as a writer in the White House Office of Presidential Correspondence.[7] She returned briefly after her 2019 graduation, before joining the White House Press Office as an assistant press secretary under Kayleigh McEnany.[7][8] 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.[17][18]

2022 congressional campaign

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See also: 2022 United States House of Representatives elections in New Hampshire § District 1

In 2022, Leavitt announced she was running for the US House of Representatives in New Hampshire's 1st district. The Republican primary attracted attention because both candidates were former Trump administration staffers.[19] Leavitt differentiated herself with a brazen style that resembled Trump's, and gained right-wing supporters including Lauren Boebert, Ted Cruz, and her mentor Elise Stefanik.[19][20] She criticized Matt Mowers with references to "the swamp" and "establishment Republicans" for his funding from outside PACs.[20] The New York Times described the candidates as ideologically similar and suggested the primary election was a matter of tone rather than policy.[20][19]

In September 2022, Leavitt won the Republican primary in a surprise victory.[3] After she lost the general election to Democratic incumbent Chris Pappas by eight percentage points,[21] she worked for a roster of clients.[like whom?][22] She declined to run again in 2024.[23]

In 2022, Leavitt faced a Federal Election Commission complaint from End Citizens United alleging Leavitt's campaign and treasurer illegally accepted campaign donations over the legal limit and never repaid her donors.[24] In January 2025, Leavitt disclosed in 17 amended campaign filings $326,370 in unpaid campaign debts she had failed to disclose for several years.[24] Roughly $200,000 of the debt was composed of illicit campaign donations made in excess of campaign finance limits she never paid back, in violation of campaign finance laws.[24]

Trump press secretary

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Leavitt addressing the press outside a Donald Trump trial in New York, May 2024

In January 2024, Leavitt accepted the role of national press secretary for Donald Trump's 2024 presidential campaign.[22] In one press appearance on CNN This Morning, she was removed from air for arguing about CNN's debate moderators.[25] Leavitt was an instructor for Project 2025's "Conservative Governance 101" training program.[26]

White House press secretary

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Leavitt at her first White House press conference in January 2025

On November 15, 2024, Donald Trump chose Leavitt as his White House press secretary to succeed Karine Jean-Pierre.[27] She assumed office on January 20, 2025. She is the youngest White House press secretary ever appointed.[2]

Leavitt delivered her first White House press conference on January 28, 2025, during which she announced that independent journalists and influencers would also be able to apply for press credentials in the future.[15][28]

During the press conference, Leavitt falsely stated that "there was about to be 50 million taxpayer dollars that went out the door to fund condoms in Gaza". Leavitt's claim was shared on social media and repeated by Trump.[29][30][31] PolitiFact stated about the incident that "[t]here is no evidence that the U.S. earmarked $50 million in condoms to Gaza, or that it has recently spent $50 million on condoms in Gaza" and that while a State Department spokesperson said the government "stopped $100 million in funding to Gaza which included money for contraception", Poltifact could not confirm that information.[29]

On January 29, 2025, a federal judge cited Leavitt's tweets in his decision regarding a restraining order related to President Trump's attempted federal funding freeze.[32][33]

On February 25, 2025, Leavitt announced that in the future her team would "determine who gets to enjoy the very privileged and limited access in spaces such as Air Force One and the Oval Office". The announcement was criticized by the White House Correspondents' Association who claimed that "This move tears at the independence of a free press in the United States".[34]

Personal life

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Leavitt is married to Nicholas Riccio, a real estate developer 32 years her senior.[35][36] They announced their engagement in December 2023 and were married in a private ceremony.[37][38]

She gave birth to their son in July 2024.[39] She had planned to go on maternity leave, but changed her mind after seeing the attempted assassination of Donald Trump in Pennsylvania the same month and resumed her professional duties.[39][40]

Leavitt is a Roman Catholic and credits her Catholic schooling for instilling pro-life values, discipline, and the importance of public service.[13][41]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Birthday of the Day: Karoline Leavitt, White House assistant press secretary". Politico. August 24, 2020. Archived from the original on June 26, 2024. Retrieved June 26, 2024.
  2. ^ a b Price, Michelle (November 15, 2024). "Trump names Karoline Leavitt as youngest ever White House press secretary". ABC News. Archived from the original on November 16, 2024. Retrieved November 16, 2024.
  3. ^ a b Cohen, Li (September 14, 2022). "25-year-old Karoline Leavitt becomes first Republican Gen Z congressional nominee after winning New Hampshire primary - CBS News". www.cbsnews.com. Retrieved June 29, 2024.
  4. ^ "Trump campaign spokesperson Karoline Leavitt named as next White House press secretary". PBS News. November 16, 2024. Retrieved January 30, 2025.
  5. ^ Singman, Brooke (April 3, 2023). "Karoline Leavitt to join Trump super PAC as spokeswoman". Fox News. Archived from the original on June 26, 2024. Retrieved June 26, 2024.
  6. ^ "Karoline Claire Leavitt from Washington, District Of Columbia". VoterRecords.com.
  7. ^ a b c d Burt, Bill (November 28, 2020). "Meet the assistant press secretary". Eagle-Tribune. Archived from the original on November 29, 2020. Retrieved June 29, 2024.
  8. ^ a b Sotomayor, Marianna (November 3, 2022). "Karoline Leavitt wants to be Gen Z's conservative voice in Congress". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved June 29, 2024.
  9. ^ a b "Iowa State University: Archives of Women's Political Communication". June 26, 2024. Archived from the original on June 26, 2024. Retrieved June 26, 2024 – via awpc.cattcenter.iastate.edu.
  10. ^ "Karoline Leavitt Biography". Saint Anselm College. Archived from the original on November 17, 2024. Retrieved November 19, 2024.
  11. ^ Leavitt, Karoline. "American media: distorting the truth for political objectives". The Saint Anselm Crier. Retrieved November 16, 2024.
  12. ^ Leavitt, Karoline. "President Trump's travel ban is for America's own benefit". The Saint Anselm Crier. Retrieved November 16, 2024.
  13. ^ a b c Bookman, Todd (October 19, 2022). "It may be her first campaign, but the building blocks of Leavitt's politics were laid years ago". New Hampshire Public Radio. Archived from the original on June 26, 2024. Retrieved June 26, 2024.
  14. ^ "Fox News: Karoline_Leavitt". June 26, 2024. Archived from the original on June 26, 2024. Retrieved June 26, 2024 – via Fox News.
  15. ^ a b "Karoline Leavitt, the youngest White House press secretary, makes her debut in the briefing room". AP News. January 28, 2025. Retrieved January 30, 2025.
  16. ^ "Karoline Leavitt to become youngest White House press secretary". BBC News. November 16, 2024. Archived from the original on January 13, 2025. Retrieved November 16, 2024.
  17. ^ Lahut, Jake (September 13, 2022). "Stefanik-Backed Candidate Wins MAGA World Face-Off in New Hampshire". The Daily Beast. Archived from the original on June 26, 2024. Retrieved June 26, 2024.
  18. ^ McCormack, Kathy (October 30, 2022). "Leavitt, 25, cites youth in bid to be youngest congresswoman". Associated Press News. Retrieved June 29, 2024.
  19. ^ a b c Karni, Annie (September 9, 2022). "In New Hampshire, a MAGA Rivalry Is Splitting House Republicans". The New York Times. Retrieved November 16, 2024.
  20. ^ a b c Karni, Annie (September 13, 2022). "Leavitt Upsets Mowers, Winning New Hampshire House G.O.P. Primary". The New York Times. Retrieved November 16, 2024.
  21. ^ Enstrom, Kirk (November 9, 2022). "US Rep. Chris Pappas projected to defeat Republican challenger Karoline Leavitt to win third term". WMUR. Retrieved January 28, 2025.
  22. ^ a b Foley, Emma (October 23, 2024). "Wonder Woman Karoline Leavitt: Her Life as a New Mom & Trump's Spokeswoman". The Conservateur. Retrieved November 16, 2024. Leavitt revealed that after her congressional campaign concluded in fall of 2022, she launched a successful business with a roster of clients.
  23. ^ "Daily Kos Elections Live Digest: 8/14". Daily Kos. Retrieved July 7, 2024.
  24. ^ a b c Heddles, Calire (January 23, 2025). "Trump's White House Press Secretary Reveals Her Failed Campaign Spent $200K in Illicit Contributions". NOTUS. Retrieved January 25, 2024.
  25. ^ "CNN Anchor Takes Trump Spokeswoman Off Air for Attacking Network's Debate Moderators: 'Ma'am, We're Going to Stop'". People.com. Retrieved November 16, 2024.
  26. ^ "Conservative Governance 101". Project 2025. Heritage Foundation. July 26, 2023. Archived from the original on January 20, 2025. Retrieved December 4, 2024.
  27. ^ "President-elect Donald J. Trump has chosen Karoline Leavitt, his campaign's press secretary, to be his White House press secretary, one of the most high-profile jobs in his next administration". The New York Times. November 15, 2024.
  28. ^ Alvarado, Amanda (January 28, 2025). "Influencers, content creators encouraged to apply for White House press credentials". Live 5 WCSC. Retrieved February 11, 2025.
  29. ^ a b McCullough, Caleb; Uribe, Maria (January 30, 2025). "No, the U.S. did not spend $50 million to fund condoms in Gaza". PolitiFact. Retrieved January 30, 2025.
  30. ^ Kessler, Glenn (January 29, 2025). "$50 million for condoms in Gaza? There's no evidence for the White House claim". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on January 30, 2025. Retrieved January 30, 2025.
  31. ^ Dale, Daniel; Marquardt, Alex; Hansler, Jennifer (January 29, 2025). "$50 million for condoms in Gaza? Five big reasons to be skeptical Trump's story is true". CNN. Retrieved January 30, 2025..
  32. ^ Lee, Ella (February 10, 2025). "Judge directs Trump administration to comply with order to unfreeze federal grants". The Hill. Retrieved February 10, 2025.
  33. ^ Slisco, Aila (January 29, 2025). "Judge cites Trump's press secretary in looming restraining order decision". Newsweek. Retrieved January 31, 2025.
  34. ^ Politi, James (February 25, 2025). "White House to choose which reporters get close access to Donald Trump". Financial Times. Retrieved February 26, 2025.
  35. ^ Washington, Charlotte McDonald-Gibson (January 29, 2025). "Meet Trump's gun-loving 27-year-old press secretary". www.thetimes.com. Retrieved January 29, 2025.
  36. ^ Reporter, Natalie Venegas Weekend (January 28, 2025). "What we know about Karoline Leavitt and her husband, Nicholas Riccio". Newsweek. Retrieved January 30, 2025.
  37. ^ O'sullivan, John (February 1, 2025). "Inside Karoline Leavitt's emotional proposal from husband 32 years her senior". Irish Star. Retrieved February 5, 2025.
  38. ^ West, Alex (January 31, 2025). "Trump's press secretary Karoline Leavitt's marriage with 59-year-old husband". The Mirror US. Retrieved February 5, 2025.
  39. ^ a b Foley, Emma (October 23, 2024). "Wonder Woman Karoline Leavitt: Her Life as a New Mom & Trump's Spokeswoman". The Conservateur. Retrieved January 30, 2025.
  40. ^ Leach, Maddison (January 29, 2025). "This 27-year-old woman just made history in the White House". 9news.com.au. Retrieved January 30, 2025.
  41. ^ Holman, Jim (November 19, 2024). "Karoline Leavitt open about her Catholic faith". California Catholic Daily. Retrieved February 27, 2025.
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Political offices
Preceded by White House Press Secretary
2025–present 		Incumbent

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