Who is Karoline Leavitt, the new face of the future Trump government? | US elections 2024

The next Trump administration already has its new face. At just 27 years old, Karoline Leavitt will become the youngest spokesperson in the history of the White House in January. This is a position as prestigious as it is perilous for this pure conservative, an unwavering ally of the president-elect.

Ms. Leavitt’s choice was announced Friday at the end of a busy week during which Donald Trump appointed his closest loyalists to key positions in his future government.

Among them: the young press secretary, who was the Republican’s main spokesperson during his presidential campaign. She has made herself known in recent months by increasing the number of media interviews, often having to defend the erratic statements of the sulphurous billionaire.

I have the great pleasure of fighting fake media [fake news media] every dayshe said during a Donald Trump supporter rally.

His combative and uncompromising style visibly pleased the president-elect. Karoline is intelligent, strong, and has proven to be a very effective communicator.Mr. Trump said Friday in a statement.

The president-elect said confident that she will excel on the podium and help us deliver our message to the American people to make America great again.

As part of her new role, Karoline Leavitt will have to speak to the press almost daily. She will have to transmit reliable information and gain credibility with journalists without losing the trust of her boss, known for his propensity to unceremoniously dismiss his colleagues at the slightest misstep.

During Mr. Trump’s first term, the position of press secretary saw unusual turnover. No less than four spokespersons followed one another: Sean Spicer, Sarah Sanders, Stephanie Grisham and Kayleigh McEnany. Ms. Grisham then became a harsh critic of the 78-year-old politician, having drawn from her time in Washington a book in which she describes her former boss as an inveterate liar, among other things.

For comparison, two press secretaries served under Joe Biden : Jen Psaki and Karine Jean-Pierre, who has held this position since May 2022.

Rapid ascent

Originally from New Hampshire, Karoline Leavitt has a degree in communications and political science from Saint Anselm Collegea Catholic university in his home state. It was also during her studies that she had the spark for her job as a press officer, according to the story given by the main person concerned.

During the 2016 Republican primaries, she would have lent a hand to a team from the channel Fox Newsshe recently said in a podcast for this right-wing news channel.

I was one of the only conservative people on campusshe then underlined.

Au Saint Anselm CollegeMs. Leavitt also wrote for the student newspaper. She signed opinion letters to denounce the Democratic petticoats of certain professors or even the treatment inequitable of candidate Trump by a good number of biased and biased media.

Before graduating in 2019, Ms. Leavitt landed an internship with Fox Newsthen in the press team of the Republican president at the White House. She then worked there as deputy press secretary in the latter part of Mr. Trump’s first term.

After Joe’s victory Biden In 2020, Ms. Leavitt became communications director for New York Republican Representative Elise Stefanik, who was just chosen by the 78-year-old politician to become the United States ambassador to theHIM. She held this seat for about two years before making the jump into politics herself.

The young woman tried to be elected as a representative of the New Hampshire under the banner of the Republican Party, in vain. She lost to Democrat Chris Pappas.

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However, this experience allowed him to sharpen his weapons in terms of oratory and to make his political positions better known. Unsurprisingly, these are in line with those of the newly elected president.

Advocating less regulated economic liberalism, Ms. Leavitt said she was in favor of a tax cut. She also advocated reinforced control at the border with Mexico and zero tolerance for illegal immigration.

The young woman has already stated that the 2020 election was stolen before indicating that Joe Biden was the president legitimate of the United States and that it was necessary look forward. However, she has since reiterated that cheats occurred during this election.

As spokesperson for the Trump administration, Karoline Leavitt will work under the leadership of Steven Cheung, who was the communications director during the Republican’s election campaign. He will take up this same title at the White House.

With information from Reuters, Agence France-Presse and the Washington Post