If you’ve turned on the news lately or scrolled through a social media feed filled with podium clips, you’ve likely seen a new face behind the blue-and-gold eagle. People are constantly asking: who is the White House spokesperson?
Right now, that person is Karoline Leavitt.
She is the 36th White House Press Secretary. Honestly, her rise to this position was fast. She took the job on January 20, 2025, when the second Trump administration began its term.
Why Karoline Leavitt Is Making History
You might notice she looks younger than the average D.C. veteran. That’s because she is. Born in 1997, Leavitt became the youngest person to ever hold the title of White House Press Secretary. Before her, the record was held by Ron Ziegler, who was 29 when he started for Richard Nixon back in 1969.
Leavitt is 28.
That matters because it changes the vibe of the briefing room. It's punchier. It's very focused on digital media. She isn't just talking to the reporters in the room; she’s talking to the people watching on their phones.
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What Does the White House Spokesperson Actually Do?
Basically, the job is to be the human face of the President's brain. When a policy is announced, she explains why. When something goes wrong, she’s the one who has to stand there and take the heat from a room full of skeptical journalists.
The White House Press Secretary acts as the primary intermediary between the executive branch and the media. It’s a high-stakes game of verbal chess.
- Daily Briefings: She stands at the podium and answers (or sometimes deflects) questions on everything from gas prices to foreign policy.
- Message Strategy: She works with the communications team to decide how to "frame" the news of the day.
- Crisis Management: If there’s a national emergency, she’s usually the first person the public hears from.
Leavitt didn't just walk into this role from nowhere. She spent time in the first Trump administration as an assistant press secretary and then ran for Congress in New Hampshire. She lost that race, but clearly, the experience stuck. She later served as the national press secretary for the 2024 campaign, which is basically the ultimate audition for the White House job.
The Team Behind the Podium
No one does this alone. Even though she’s the face of the operation, the White House Office of the Press Secretary is a whole machine.
Currently, she’s backed by a team that includes Harrison Fields as the Special Assistant to the President and Principal Deputy Press Secretary. You also have people like Anna Kelly and Kush Desai serving as Deputy Press Secretaries.
They are the ones doing the research while she's at the podium. They’re digging up the stats on Venezuelan oil or inflation rates so she can have them ready in her binder. If you’ve ever seen a Press Secretary flipping through a giant notebook, that’s the "briefing book" compiled by these deputies.
How the Briefing Room Is Changing in 2026
Things aren't exactly like they used to be in the West Wing. In early 2026, the White House has been leaning heavily into "new media."
You'll see Leavitt taking questions from YouTubers and podcasters alongside traditional outlets like the AP or Reuters. It’s a deliberate move. They want to bypass the traditional "gatekeepers" and reach people where they actually hang out.
Some people love it. They think it's more democratic. Others think it’s a mess and that it dilutes the seriousness of the office.
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What Most People Get Wrong
People often confuse the Press Secretary with the Communications Director. They are different.
The Communications Director usually focuses on the long-term vision—the "big picture" of how the President is perceived over months or years. The Press Secretary—the White House spokesperson—is the "tactical" player. They handle the "right now."
If a reporter has a question at 2:00 PM on a Tuesday, they call the Press Secretary’s office.
Actionable Insights for Following the News
If you want to keep up with what's happening at the White House without the filter of cable news, here is what you can do:
- Watch the Full Briefings: Clips on X (formerly Twitter) are often edited to make someone look bad or good. Go to the White House YouTube channel to see the full exchange. Context is everything.
- Follow Official Transcripts: Every single word spoken at that podium is transcribed and posted on WhiteHouse.gov. If you want to know exactly what was said about a specific law, search the transcripts.
- Check the Daily Guidance: The White House releases a daily schedule of what the President is doing. This tells you what Leavitt will likely be asked about that day.
Following the White House spokesperson is the fastest way to understand the administration's priorities. Whether it's Karoline Leavitt or whoever comes next, that podium remains one of the most powerful pieces of furniture in the world.