Karoline Leavitt, White House Press Secretary, slammed the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) on Monday, therefore supporting the attempts of the Trump administration and Elon Musk to close the agency. Leavitt charged that USAID was wasting taxpayer dollars on uncalled-for and debatable initiatives.
Leavitt pointed out in her statement several instances of what she termed wasteful spending by USAID, among them $70,000 for a diversity music show in Ireland, $1.5 million for diversity initiatives in Serbia, $47,000 for a transgender opera in Colombia, and $32,000 for a transgender comic book in Peru. Given the aim of the administration of eradicating needless government spending, she stressed that these expenses were indefensible.
Leavitt firmly backed Elon Musk and his leadership of the Department of Government Efficiency to solve these problems. She let it be known she supported Musk’s job to eliminate what she called “waste spending” and thanked him for being a critical ally in the presidency of Trump. “Personally as an American taxpayer, I don’t want my money going toward this rubbish, and I know the people of America don’t either,” she said. President Trump has exactly ordered Elon Musk to perform said task.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt reads a list of “insane priorities” USAID “has been spending on”: “I don’t know about you, but as an American taxpayer I don’t want my dollars going toward this crap, and I know the American people don’t either.” pic.twitter.com/tahg1ITkyz
— Howard Mortman (@HowardMortman) February 3, 2025
Karoline Leavitt: The most youthful White House press secretary ever.
Donald Trump’s selection of Karoline Leavitt as White House press secretary in 2024 made history by her being only 27 years of age and therefore the youngest person ever to hold the position. Ron Ziegler, who was 29 when serving as press secretary under President Richard Nixon, held the prior record.
Born in New Hampshire, Leavitt graduated from Saint Anselm College with a major in political science and communication. Starting Trump’s first term, she landed internships with the White House press office and Fox News. She worked after graduating in 2019 as a presidential writer and subsequently as assistant press secretary, helping to Kayleigh McEnany with briefings.
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Leavitt ran for Congress in 2022 in New Hampshire’s first district, highlighting matters such as tax cuts, law enforcement support, and border wall construction. She lost the general election even though she won the Republican candidate.
In addition to writing for Trump’s 2014 presidential campaign, Leavitt served as national press secretary and communications director under Republican Congressman Elise Stefanik, who Trump selected to be the US Ambassador to the United Nations.
Married to Nicholas Riccio, Leavitt, and her husband exchanged vows in a small ceremony after Riccio proposed in December 2023. Welcoming their son, Niko, in July 2024, the couple has a 32-year age gap.