MAGA Inc. and Trump 2024 Campaign
Between 2022 and 2024, Leavitt became a spokesperson for MAGA Inc., a pro-Trump Super PAC focused on mobilizing support for Trump’s 2024 bid. In January 2024, she was appointed national press secretary for the Trump 2024 presidential campaign. Her time in that role was eventful: she regularly clashed with journalists, made headlines for her combative interviews, and was even pulled off-air during a CNN appearance for harshly criticizing debate moderators.
Her performance, however, impressed Trump and his inner circle. On November 15, 2024, following Trump’s reelection, he announced that Leavitt would serve as his White House press secretary in the second administration.
Second Trump Administration: White House Press Secretary
Karoline Leavitt officially assumed office as White House Press Secretary on January 20, 2025, making history as the youngest individual ever to hold the post. Her debut press briefing on January 28 was symbolic of her approach—confident, ideological, and assertive. During this briefing, she announced new credentialing policies allowing independent journalists and influencers to apply for press access, a move framed as increasing media democratization but criticized as undermining professional journalistic standards.
That same press conference was also marred by a significant factual error. Leavitt claimed that “50 million taxpayer dollars” were being allocated for condoms in Gaza, a statement that quickly spread on social media and was repeated by President Trump. Fact-checkers debunked the claim, noting there was no evidence of such a program. PolitiFact and other outlets pointed out that while contraception was included in broader aid packages, no such figure existed. The incident fueled further debate about the role of misinformation in government communications.
Leavitt’s conduct continued to stir controversy. On January 29, 2025, a federal judge cited her tweets in a decision regarding a Trump administration funding freeze, raising concerns about the press secretary’s use of social media to influence judicial matters.
In February, Leavitt announced that the White House would decide who would be granted privileged access to the Oval Office and Air Force One. The White House Correspondents’ Association criticized the decision, warning that it threatened press independence—a constitutionally protected right. Critics accused the administration of gatekeeping access to suppress dissenting voices.