Long before Karoline Leavitt made history as the youngest-ever White House press secretary, the 27-year-old shined on the softball diamond with Saint Anselm College.
During her first two years at the private Benedictine liberal arts college in Goffstown, New Hampshire, Leavitt starred as an outfielder and DP for the Hawks. During her freshman campaign in 2016, she amassed 22 hits, 14 RBIs, and three home runs – tied for third-most on the team – while boasting a .220 batting average and .360 slugging percentage over 36 games.
The following season, Leavitt appeared in 19 games – 14 of which were starts – and slashed .159/.213/.250 with two doubles, a triple, three RBIs, and eight runs. Her best single-game performance came against Bridgeport in March of 2017, during which she went 2-for-4 with two doubles and a pair of RBIs.
Leavitt — who attended Saint Anselm on a softball scholarship — also excelled off the field, making the dean’s list and honor roll as a freshman and sophomore. In 2017, she founded the college’s first-ever student-run broadcasting club, which covered local sports and college news.
While running for the US House of Representatives in New Hampshire’s 1st district in 2022, Leavitt informed a county Republican group that it became apparent softball wasn’t something she wanted to pursue long-term. “I quickly learned it wasn’t athletics I was interested in. It was politics, public service, news,” Leavitt said at the time.
Outside of school, Leavitt interned at ABC affiliate WMUR-TV, FOX News, and even in Donald Trump’s White House correspondence office – where she wrote letters in the president’s name. Upon graduating with a bachelor’s degree in communication and politics in 2019, she briefly served as a presidential speechwriter at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue before eventually assuming the role of assistant press secretary under former Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany.
(Image: SAINT ANSELM HAWKS)
“I was immediately impressed by her evident drive and her genuinely positive demeanor,” McEnany told AP’s Chris Megerian and Darlene Superville. “Karoline is sharp, professional, and enterprising, and I knew that I wanted to hire her on the spot.”
During Trump’s time out of the oval office in between his two terms, Leavitt accepted a position as the communications director for New York Republican Representative Elise Stefanik.
Last January, Leavitt was hired as Trump’s national press secretary for his presidential campaign. Once the Republican nominee defeated Kamala Harris in the November election, she was appointed as White House press secretary.
“Karoline is smart, tough, and has proven to be a highly effective communicator,” Trump 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.”
- Source: NEWHD MEDIA
