Karoline Leavitt, at 27, is the youngest White House press secretary in history and the face of a Trump-supporting Gen Z movement. After a week of anticipation, she's stepping up to the podium for the first time.
Leavitt presents a polished and confident presence, blending moments from her life as a young working mother with her sharp critiques of the "fake news" media, often shared through her social media platforms and Fox News appearances.
Her debut comes more than a week into Donald Trump’s second term, a delay that highlights the challenge Trump's spokespeople face in stepping out of the shadow of their media-savvy boss, who has already held several extensive media interactions since regaining power.
Ahead of her briefing, Leavitt shared a confident message on X: “See you at the podium!”
Trump had praised Leavitt shortly after his election win in November, calling her “smart, tough,” and predicting that she would “excel at the podium.”
A Trump Loyalist
Leavitt’s loyalty to Trump is evident. Raised in New Hampshire by a family that ran an ice cream shop, she made headlines in 2017 for writing a letter to her university newspaper protesting a professor’s criticism of Trump. By 2022, she had climbed the ranks in Trump’s circle, particularly known for her combative defense of the 78-year-old former president.
Leavitt’s political career includes a 2022 Congressional run in New Hampshire on a pro-Trump, pro-gun ownership platform, which featured an Instagram post of her firing a machine gun with the caption, “@joebiden come and take it.”
Her rise continued when she became a spokeswoman for Trump’s 2024 campaign, eventually earning her current role as press secretary. Notably, during a CNN interview, Leavitt clashed with moderators and was cut off after criticizing their debate choices for Trump and Biden.
Her devotion to Trump is so strong that she returned to work just four days after giving birth when Trump survived an assassination attempt at a rally last June. "I looked at my husband and said, ‘Looks like I’m going back to work,’” Leavitt shared in The Conservateur magazine, which dubbed her “Wonder Woman.”
Navigating the Briefing Room
Leavitt’s time in the White House briefing room promises a different experience, marked by sharp exchanges with journalists. Since Trump’s return to power, she’s had only brief interactions with the press, such as a driveway encounter outside the West Wing and a “gaggle” on Air Force One during Trump’s trip to California. Her media appearances have largely been confined to conservative outlets like Fox News and Newsmax.
Still, she has generated buzz, including a comment from conservative commentator Mary Rooke, who praised Leavitt’s style in a post about her driveway appearance, dubbing it the “Blonde Supremacy era.”
As she steps up to the podium on Tuesday, Leavitt faces the challenge of avoiding the pitfalls of Trump’s previous press secretaries. Sean Spicer, the first to hold the role, became infamous for his inaccurate claims about crowd size during Trump’s 2017 inauguration. Three other press secretaries followed, with one, Stephanie Grisham, never holding a single press briefing.
For Leavitt, this is a crucial moment to prove herself in the role.
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