President Donald Trump's newly-appointed White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt made huge waves at her first official press conference on Tuesday.Addressing the media in the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room, the 27-year-old announced podcasters and influencers would be given White House press credentials under Trump's new administration and hit out at legacy publications for "pushing lies" about the president.Here's everything you need to know about Leavitt, who made history when she stepped up to the podium.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt hosted her first White House press conference on January 28. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis)
Who is Karoline Leavitt?
Aged just 27 when she assumed office, Leavitt is the youngest White House press secretary in history.Born in New Hampshire, USA on August 24, 1997, Leavitt was raised catholic and got her start in the press industry as a Fox News intern while she was still at university.She also interned at the White House Office of Presidential Correspondence, then landed a job in the White House Press Office after graduating, where she worked as an assistant press secretary to Kayleigh McEnany, the 33rd White House press secretary.When Trump left the Oval Office in 2020, Leavitt took a role as communications director for Elise Stefanik, a Republican politician from New York, before announcing her own political plans.She ran for the US House of Representatives in New Hampshire's 1st district in 2022, campaigning on popular Republican issues like conservative values, reduced taxes, and gun rights.
Leavitt is the youngest White House press secretary in history. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)Trump appointed Leavitt as national press secretary for his presidential campaign in early 2024 and promoted her to White House press secretary when he won. She assumed office on January 20, 2025.
Karoline Leavitt's education
Leavitt was educated first at Central Catholic High School in Massachusetts, then scored an athletic scholarship to attend Saint Anselm College, New Hampshire playing NCAA Division II softball.While at university, Leavitt built a reputation for herself as an outspoken Trump supporter, penning multiple op-eds in the campus paper praising his policies and criticising his detractors, especially those in the mainstream news media.Leavitt graduated with Bachelor of Arts degrees in communications and political science in 2019.
Karoline Leavitt's first press conference
Leavitt hosted her first White House news conference on January 28, 2025, where she answered a barrage of questions about all the executive orders Trump signed in his first week in office."President Trump is back, and the Golden Age of America has most definitely begun," she said as the conference kicked off.
Leavitt announced podcasters and influencers would be given White House press credentials. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)She took aim at legacy US media outlets during the conference, then announced that "podcasters and social media influencers" would be given access to White House press conferences moving forward."That's because President Trump has a great story to tell, about the legendary American revival that is already underway," she told the crowd. "A total of 440 revoked media passes will be invited back, while podcasters and social media influencers will be invited."Her first press conference signalled big changes to come for how the White House handles media in Trump's second term in office.
Karoline Leavitt's family
Leavitt is married to Nicholas Riccio, a wealthy New Hampshire real estate agent with his own multi-million dollar business Riccio Enterprises LLC.The pair got engaged on Christmas Day in 2023 and Leavitt has since changed her Instagram bio to include the word "wife", though details of their wedding have been kept private.
Karoline Leavitt with her husband Nicholas Riccio and young son, also named Nicholas. (Instagram/@karolineleavitt)The newlyweds welcomed their first child in July, 2024, a baby boy they named Nicholas. She regularly shares photos of him on her public Instagram.Leavitt originally planned to take maternity leave but changed her mind after Trump's attempted assassination in Pennsylvania just three days after her son was born.
Karoline Leavitt's salary
Leavitt is believed to be paid a salary of around $US180,000 (approx. $287,000) for her role, similar to what former Trump Press Secretaries were paid.
