When news broke that President-elect Donald Trump had picked New Hampshire native Karoline Leavitt to serve as White House press secretary, one of the first people to sing her praises was veteran GOP operative Matt Mowers.
“I’ve seen Karoline Leavitt’s communication skills at a podium first hand in New Hampshire. She’ll do a great job for President Donald Trump,” Mowers tweeted.
He certainly has. Leavitt defeated Mowers, the presumed frontrunner, in the 2022 GOP First Congressional District primary despite not being old enough to legally serve in Congress when she entered the race. While she went on to lose to incumbent U.S. Rep. Chris Pappas (D), first-time candidate Leavitt left an impression on New Hampshire politics.
Today, the 27-year-old Leavitt has notched “national press secretary” for a successful presidential bid on her resume, a job she held at the same time she became a new mom. In fact, she had just gotten home from the hospital with her three-day-old baby Nico when Trump was shot by a would-be assassin in Butler, Pa. on July 13.
She looked at her husband Nick and said, “Looks like I’m going back to work,” she told the conservative women’s news site The Conservateur.
Now, she’s working as the youngest person to ever serve as the president’s press secretary, a job previously held by such luminaries as Pierre Salinger, George Stephanopoulos, Tony Snow, and Dana Perino.
Leavitt’s biography has plenty of Granite State touchstones. She grew up in Atkinson and worked in the family ice cream shop. She attended Saint Anselm College (with a softball scholarship) and studied media. She spent time as an intern at WMUR.
“Home is where the heart is and my heart will always be in New Hampshire,” Leavitt told NHJournal. “I’m humbled and grateful to everyone in this state who has supported me, from my teachers in grade school to my time at Saint Anselm to my run for Congress. Thank you!”
Leavitt was also one of the first New Hampshire political players to speak out on the issue of parental rights and gender issues. During her race for Congress, she called out Manchester School District for its policy of keeping children’s behavior regarding sex and gender secret from parents.
“Far left Democrats, including my opponent (U.S. Rep.) Chris Pappas, do not believe that parents have a fundamental right to know when their child is expressing concerns over their gender status at school,” Leavitt said at the time.
Leavitt’s campaign shined a light on an incident involving a Manchester mom who eventually went to court to press for the right to know about her child’s actions at school. While her lawsuit was unsuccessful, attention on the issue — and the Democratic Party’s extreme stance — has continued to grow. It’s believed to have contributed to GOP successes in this months elections.
Granite State political professionals say it’s easy to focus on the novelty surrounding her age. That, they say, is a mistake.
“Her performance in taking press questions and communicating to the public has been the best I’ve ever seen,” said Neil Levesque, executive director of the New Hampshire Institute of Politics (NHIOP) at Saint Anselm College. “She also is perpetually optimistic in her responses and I expect that the hostile press corps will be thrown off course by this.”
Levesque can’t resist giving just a little of the credit to the NHIOP.
“On a personal level, she is why I love working in higher education. Dealing day to day with a student who is beyond smart, driven, and positive about the future. Watching her succeed through her ability has been a wonderful experience. It’s a proud day for the NH Institute of Politics.”
Craig Stevens of Bedford, who served in the George W. Bush administration and is a communications professional in his own right, asks: Has anyone had a more incredible two years than Karoline Leavitt?
“Congressional candidate, new mom, presidential campaign spokesperson, and now to be the White House spokesperson – absolutely amazing,” Stevens said. “It’s every spokesperson’s dream to stand at that podium, with the White House seal behind them, and she’s done it.
“Plus, she’s one of the nicest people to boot. New Hampshire can be proud of this native daughter.”
