Washington, United States:

Donald Trump’s new press secretary on Tuesday invited TikTokers and podcasters to apply for White House press passes, in an effort to reach beyond the mainstream media that the US president often slams. In her first time at the White House podium, Karoline Leavitt said an additional seat for “new media voices” had been reserved at the front of the cramped briefing room.

Trump has repeatedly criticized traditional media as the “enemy of the people,” and he credits a series of podcast appearances for aiding his return to the White House. 

“As the youngest press secretary in history, thanks to President Trump, I take great pride in opening up this room to new media voices,” the 27-year-old Leavitt told a packed briefing room.

“Whether you are a TikTok content creator, a blogger, a podcaster, if you are producing legitimate news content… you will be allowed to apply for press credentials to this White House,” she said.

The shake-up was more modest that some news organizations had feared, after the president’s son Donald Trump Jr. talked in November about “opening up” the press room.

The 49 seats in the room are allocated to a number of news organizations, including AFP, that are members of the White House Correspondents Association.

Reporters without seats are allowed to stand at the side if there is space — as they did for Leavitt’s packed-out debut on Tuesday.

The new press secretary also vowed to hold reporters accountable for what she said were “lies” about Trump.

“We know for a fact there have been lies that have been pushed by many legacy media outlets in this country about this president, about his family, and we will not accept that,” she said.

The briefing at the iconic White House podium was Leavitt’s first since Trump was inaugurated eight days ago. She has so far largely spoken to conservative television outlets including Fox News.

Trump sidestepped interviews with some major US TV networks during the election campaign, opting instead to speak to several largely right-wing podcasts including the hugely popular Joe Rogan Experience.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Washington:

The Trump Administration has announced that it will allocate seats in the White House press briefing room to representatives from “new media” outlets, including podcasters, social media influencers, and content creators.

This move, spearheaded by Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, aims to provide representation to groups that have not previously had a presence in the briefing room.

“Millions of Americans, particularly young people, have shifted away from traditional television and newspapers to consume news through podcasts, blogs, social media, and other independent platforms,” Leavitt said on Tuesday during her first daily press briefing.

“It is crucial for our team to share President Trump’s message widely and adapt the White House to the evolving media landscape of 2025,” Leavitt said.

At just 27 years old, Leavitt is the youngest White House press secretary in history.

She invited independent journalists, podcasters, social media influencers, and content creators to apply for White House press credentials through the newly launched website, whitehouse.gov/newmedia.

She also revealed that a front-row seat in the briefing room, traditionally reserved for the press secretary’s staff, will now be designated the “New Media Seat.” Applications will be reviewed by Leavitt’s team, and credentials will be granted to those who meet the criteria and pass the US Secret Service’s security requirements.

During her first briefing, Leavitt fielded questions from new media representatives, including outlets that rank among the most-viewed news websites in the country but have never had a seat in the briefing room.

When asked about the initiative, Leavitt reiterated the administration’s commitment to upholding the First Amendment.

“It’s a fact that Americans, especially young people, are consuming news from a variety of platforms. As the youngest press secretary in history, thanks to President Trump, I take great pride in opening this room to new media voices to ensure the president’s message reaches as many Americans as possible,” she said.

She added, “We will ensure that respected outlets like Axios and Breitbart have a permanent seat in this room every day. We also encourage anyone in the country—whether you’re a TikTok creator, blogger, podcaster, or any other type of content producer—to apply for press credentials if you are producing legitimate news content, regardless of the platform.” The move marks a significant shift in the White House’s approach to media engagement, reflecting the changing ways Americans access and consume news in the digital age.

Leavitt also emphasised the administration’s commitment to the First Amendment, announcing plans to reinstate press passes for 440 journalists whose credentials were revoked under the previous administration.

“This White House strongly believes in the First Amendment, which is why we are working diligently to restore press passes to journalists who were wrongly denied access. Additionally, we are opening this briefing room to new media voices that produce news-related content but currently lack representation here,” she explained.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Washington:

She’s the face of a Trump-supporting Gen Z movement and the youngest White House press secretary in history. Now Karoline Leavitt is stepping up to the podium for the first time.

The 27-year-old is already a polished presence, with her social media profile mixing shots of life as a young working mother with clips of her on Fox News going after the “fake news” media.

But it has taken more than a week into Donald Trump’s second term for Leavitt to make her debut before the press in the James S. Brady briefing room at the White House.

It reflects the difficulties that Trump’s spokespeople face to emerge out of the shadow of their limelight-loving boss, with the president already having had several long interactions with the media since returning to power.

“See you at the podium!” Leavitt said on X ahead of the briefing.

Trump said when he appointed her shortly after his election win in November that Leavitt was “smart, tough” and would “excel at the podium.”

‘Wonder woman’

Leavitt is nothing if not a Trump loyalist.

Raised in New Hampshire, where her family ran an ice cream shop, she sent a letter to her university newspaper in 2017 to protest against the fact that a professor had criticized Trump in class.

Eight years later she has had a meteoric rise through the ranks of Trumpworld, thanks partly to her aggressive defense of her 78-year-old boss on the airwaves.

A veteran of the press office in his first term, she unsuccessfully ran for a seat in Congress in New Hampshire in 2022 on a pro-Trump, pro-gun ownership platform.

An Instagram post at the time showed her firing a machinegun on a range with the caption: “@joebiden come and take it.”

Then her steely appearances on television as Trump’s 2024 campaign spokeswoman earned her the job as press secretary.

In one notable exchange, a CNN interviewer cut Leavitt off after she criticized the network’s moderators chosen to oversee a debate between Trump and then-president Joe Biden.

Her loyalty was such that she returned to work four days after the birth of her first child when Trump survived an assassination attempt at a political rally last June.

“I looked at my husband and said, ‘Looks like I’m going back to work,” Leavitt told The Conservateur magazine in an article titled “Wonder Woman.”

Sparring

The White House briefing room will be a different experience, with its rough-and-tumble sparring with journalists.

Since Trump returned to power, she has so far only had a brief encounter with reporters on the driveway outside the West Wing, followed by a single “gaggle” on Air Force One as Trump traveled to California.

Her television appearances have almost exclusively been reserved for Fox News and the conservative Newsmax channel.

But she has still caused a stir, with conservative commentator Mary Rooke posting a picture of her driveway appearance with two similarly coiffed aides and saying: “We are finally entering our Blonde Supremacy era.”

As she steps up to the podium on Tuesday, Leavitt will be seeking to avoid the fate of Trump’s previous spokespeople.

His first, Sean Spicer, was widely ridiculed after falsely insisting during his first briefing that the crowd for Trump’s 2017 inauguration was the largest history.

Three other spokespeople followed during the first term with one of them, Stephanie Grisham, failing to make a single appearance at the podium.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt watches as President Donald Trump signs executive orders in the Oval Office of the White House, in Washington.
| Photo Credit: AP

Karoline Leavitt, the youngest person to serve as White House press secretary, will make her debut in the briefing room on Tuesday.

Her first briefing is scheduled for 1 p.m. ET.

The James S. Brady Press Briefing Room was the site of clashes between spokespeople and journalists during President Donald Trump’s first term. Trump, a Republican, also made frequent appearances there himself during the coronavirus outbreak.

It’s unclear how often Leavitt, 27, plans to hold briefings. Mr. Trump had four press secretaries during his first administration, Sean Spicer, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, Stephanie Grisham and Kayleigh McEnany, and Grisham never held a briefing, while the others were more frequent presences behind the podium.

Ms. Leavitt was a spokesperson for Trump’s campaign and transition, and he said she did “a phenomenal job” when he announced in November that she’d be his White House press secretary.

“Karoline is smart, tough, and has proven to be a highly effective communicator,” he said then in a statement. “I have the utmost confidence she will excel at the podium, and help deliver our message to the American People as we Make America Great Again.” Previously, the youngest press secretary was Ronald Ziegler, who was 29 when he took the position in 1969 in Richard Nixon’s administration.

Grisham was arguably the nation’s least visible press secretary in modern history, not holding a press briefing during nine months on the job. While she made occasional appearances on the Fox News Channel, she preferred to tape her interviews in a studio to avoid having to speak to reporters who gather on the White House driveway to interview officials after they appear on TV via cameras set up outside the executive mansion.

Washington, United States:

With Donald Trump in power now, authorities have started cracking down on illegal migrants who have made a perilous journey in a quest for the American dream. Hundreds of illegal migrants were arrested and deported in a massive operation that comes just three days after the new administration was sworn in.

Sharing the figures, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said that the US authorities have arrested 538 illegal migrants and deported hundreds using a military aircraft.

“The Trump Administration arrested 538 illegal immigrant criminals including a suspected terrorist, four members of the Tren de Aragua gang, and several illegals convicted of sex crimes against minors,” Ms Leavitt said in an online post on Thursday. “Trump Administration also deported hundreds of illegal immigrant criminals via military aircraft. The largest massive deportation operation in history is well underway. Promises made. Promises kept,” she added.

White House shared a “small preview” into the work the Trump administration is doing to “secure our nation’s borders.” It listed the names of some of the people arrested by the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the crimes committed by them. Crimes include rape, sexual conduct against a child, and continuous sexual abuse of a child aged 14 or younger.

DAILY IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT REPORTING FROM ICE

538 Total Arrests

373 Detainers Lodged

Examples of the criminals arrested below

— The White House (@WhiteHouse) January 24, 2025

Following the inaugural ceremony on January 20, US President Donald Trump signed a series of executive orders including one of “Protecting the American people against invasion.” The order states that over the last four years, the US saw an unprecedented flood of illegal immigration. “Millions of illegal aliens crossed our borders or were permitted to fly directly into the United States on commercial flights and allowed to settle in American communities, in violation of longstanding Federal laws.”

The government order further states that many of these “aliens unlawfully within the United States” present significant “threats to national security and public safety”, committing vile and heinous acts against innocent Americans.

On January 23, the US Congress gave a green signal to a GOP-led bill – Laken Riley Act – on the detention and deportation of undocumented migrants who enter the country without authorization and are charged with certain crimes.

File picture of Karoline Leavitt speaking to the media
| Photo Credit: AP

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump on Friday (November 15, 2024) named Karoline Leavitt as White House Press Secretary.

Ms. Leavitt, 27, would replace Karine Jean-Pierre as the White House Press Secretary on January 20, 2025 when Mr. Trump takes oath as the 47th President of the United States. She was the Trump Campaign’s National Press Secretary and has previously served in the Trump White House as Assistant Press Secretary.

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Announcing her nomination, Mr. Trump said, “Leavitt did a phenomenal job as the National Press Secretary on my Historic Campaign, and I am pleased to announce she will serve as White House Press Secretary.”

“Karoline is smart, tough, and has proven to be a highly effective communicator,” the president-elect said.

“I have the utmost confidence she will excel at the podium, and help deliver our message to the American People as we, Make America Great Again,” he added.

Among other nominations announced by Mr. Trump, Steven Cheung will return to the White House as Assistant to the President and Director of Communications.

Sergio Gor will serve as Assistant to the President and Director of the Presidential Personnel Office.

“Steven Cheung and Sergio Gor have been trusted Advisors since my first Presidential Campaign in 2016, and have continued to champion America First principles throughout my First Term, all the way to our Historic Victory in 2024,” Mr. Trump said.

“I am thrilled to have them join my White House as we, Make America Great Again!” he added.

Mr. Cheung was Director of Communications on the Trump-Vance 2024 Presidential Campaign and previously served in the Trump White House as Director of Strategic Response, while Mr. Gor was the CEO of Winning Team Publishing, while also running the pro-Trump Super PAC, Right For America.