Before making history as the youngest ever White House press secretary, New Hampshire native Karoline Leavitt got her start in politics here in the Granite State.

Leavitt made her debut in the press briefing room Tuesday, marking her first White House news conference as the public face of President Donald Trump’s administration.

“I can assure you that you’ll be hearing from both him and me as much as possible,” the 27-year-old said during the briefing.

Trump tapped Leavitt for the post soon after his reelection in November 2024, saying in a press release at the time that she is “smart, tough, and has proven to be a highly effective communicator.”

Where is Karoline Leavitt from? Her NH ties

Karoline Leavitt grew up in Atkinson, New Hampshire, she told Seacoastonline in November.

Leavitt went to Central Catholic High School in Lawrence, Massachusetts, before attending Saint Anselm College in Manchester. While at Saint Anselm, she grew interested in politics and gained experience in the news media industry.

“I just took advantage of every opportunity I could and started the St. Anselm College Broadcasting Club, I worked part-time at WMUR-TV, and I volunteered on a couple of campaigns, and then realized that this is, you know, what I wanted to do with the rest of my career,” she told Seacoastonline in November.

After college, Leavitt moved to Hampton. She still lives on the Seacoast with her husband and son.

Karoline Leavitt’s career history

Karoline Leavitt graduated from Saint Anselm College with a degree in communications and politics in 2019. After that, she worked as a presidential writer and assistant press secretary under Kayleigh McEnany during Trump’s first presidential term.

After her first stint at the White House, Leavitt worked as a spokesperson for Rep. Elise Stefanik, a close Trump ally.

In 2022, Leavitt ran for Congress in New Hampshire’s First Congressional District. She won the primary but lost to incumbent Democrat Rep. Chris Pappas.

Leavitt returned to work for Trump in 2024, serving as national press secretary for his presidential campaign.

What does the White House press secretary do?

The White House press secretary serves as the spokesperson and public face of the presidential administration. Historically, they hold daily briefings for the press corps.

Karoline Leavitt became the youngest person to hold the role at age 27 when she was sworn-in earlier this month.

Before that, the youngest ever press secretary was Ronald Ziegler, who took the position at the age of 29 in 1969 under Richard Nixon’s administration.

Leavitt held her first press briefing Tuesday, during which she said that she plans to hold briefings frequently. She also said that the Trump administration would be available to all media outlets as well as “new media voices who produce related content” such as “independent journalists, podcasters, social media influencers and content creators.”

Contributing: Saman Shafiq and Margie Cullen, USA TODAY Network