Trump names Karoline Leavitt White House press secretary

US President-elect Donald Trump announced on Friday that Karoline Leavitt, his campaign spokesperson, will serve as press secretary for his upcoming administration.

"Karoline Leavitt did a phenomenal job as the National Press Secretary on my Historic Campaign, and I am pleased to announce she will serve as White House Press Secretary," Trump said in a statement Friday evening.

"Karoline is smart, tough, and has proven to be a highly effective communicator. I have the utmost confidence she will excel at the podium, and help deliver our message to the American People as we, Make America Great Again."

Leavitt, 27, will be the youngest White House press secretary in U.S. history, unseating Nixon administration press secretary Ron Ziegler, who was 29 when he served in the role from 1969-1974.

"Thank you, President Trump, for believing in me. I am humbled and honored. Let's MAGA!" Leavitt wrote in a post on X on Friday night.

Leavitt served as the campaign's national press secretary, rallying support for Trump while also working as his fierce defender amid political attacks from the Harris campaign and Democrats.

"They forced him to take a mug shot. They tried to remove his name off of the ballot. They forced him to sit in a dirty courthouse for six weeks. Two people tried to kill him, for goodness sake," Leavitt said last week on "Fox & Friends" following the election. "And the American people see, in Donald Trump, is clear a leader who even in the darkest of times is going to lift his fist in the air and say, ‘fight, fight, fight’ for this country."

"Democracy appeared to be the number one issue for voters. It's clear that the American people believe President Trump is the best candidate to preserve our democracy. And it shows the Democrats' message in these final weeks of the campaign that he's this alleged threat to democracy just didn't work in the eyes of the American people," she added.

Leavitt previously served in Trump's first administration as assistant press secretary during Kayleigh McEnany's tenure. In 2022, the New Hampshire native launched a congressional campaign to represent the state's 1st Congressional District, winning the primary but not the general election.

News.Az