White House Press Secretary facts for kids
Quick facts for kids White House Press Secretary |
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White House Office of the Press Secretary | |
Appointer | President of the United States |
Formation | March 4, 1929 |
First holder | George Akerson |
Salary | $180,000 USD (2024) |
Website | https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-statements/ |
The White House press secretary is a very important person who works for the President of the United States. Their main job is to speak for the President and the government. They explain what the government is doing and how it feels about important events around the world.
The press secretary talks to reporters and the White House press corps every day. They usually do this in a daily press briefing, which is like a news conference. The President chooses the press secretary, and they serve as long as the President wants them to. This job is very well-known because the press secretary talks to the media often, and the media then shares the information with everyone.
Karoline Leavitt became the 36th White House press secretary on January 20, 2025.
Contents
History of the Press Secretary Role
How Press Relations Started
In the early days of the United States, there wasn't one person whose job was to talk to reporters. The White House staff was very small. After President Abraham Lincoln, Congress started giving money for a White House staff, which began with just one secretary.
As presidents hired more people, some chose aides who used to be journalists. For example, one of Abraham Lincoln's secretaries, John G. Nicolay, was a newspaper editor. He sometimes talked to reporters to check facts. Even though the official job of "press secretary" didn't exist yet, White House staff were already talking to the growing number of journalists.
Early White House Reporters
Before the 1880s, the relationship between the President and newspapers was different. Newspapers often supported a political party. There wasn't much need for a special person to manage the news.
But by 1884, when Grover Cleveland became President, the media had changed a lot. There were many more newspapers and magazines. More reporters started covering the President's activities.
When President Cleveland married Frances Folsom in 1886, reporters followed them everywhere, even on their honeymoon! This made the President frustrated. He relied on his private secretary, Daniel Lamont, to keep reporters away. This event led to a public discussion about the President's right to privacy versus the media's role in covering public figures.
The White House Press Corps Forms
Towards the end of Cleveland's time in office, something new happened. A reporter named William W. Price started staying at the White House every day to find stories. He would interview guests coming and going. Other newspapers soon sent their own reporters to do the same. This was the beginning of the White House press corps, a group of reporters dedicated to covering the White House daily.
When William McKinley became President, he kept George B. Cortelyou as his private secretary. Cortelyou was very good at his job and respected by reporters. He would give them information, copies of speeches, and notes from the President's travels. Many people consider Cortelyou to be the first "presidential press secretary" because of how well he worked with the press.
A Special Space for Reporters
During McKinley's presidency, reporters covering the White House were invited inside the mansion. They were given a space to write and do interviews. They could talk to guests or the President's secretaries. However, they had an unspoken rule: they wouldn't ask the President questions if he walked through their area.
Theodore Roosevelt made sure the White House Press Corps had a permanent home. When he built the new executive office building (now called the West Wing) in the early 1900s, he included a special space for the press. This is where the Office of the Press Secretary and the famous James S. Brady Press Briefing Room are located today.
Woodrow Wilson and Regular News Conferences
When Woodrow Wilson became President in 1912, he brought Joseph P. Tumulty with him as his private secretary. Tumulty worked a lot with the press. He convinced President Wilson, who didn't really like reporters, to hold regular news conferences, sometimes twice a week.
During these conferences, over a hundred reporters would gather to ask questions. Wilson often asked reporters not to publish what he said directly. Tumulty also started giving daily briefings to reporters, which helped create the modern White House Press Briefing.
The First "White House Press Secretary"
During President Franklin D. Roosevelt's time in office, a journalist named Stephen Early became the first person whose only job was to handle press relations. Because of how Early did his job and how important it became, many people say he was the first true White House press secretary, both in what he did and in his official title.
Early had been a reporter before working for Roosevelt. When he took the job, he asked for full access to the President. He also wanted his own statements to be directly quoted. He promised to give reporters as much factual information as possible. He also convinced Roosevelt to hold press conferences twice a week, timed to help reporters meet their deadlines. Early was known for being responsive and open with the press.
Roosevelt continued the tradition of press conferences. He changed the rules so that reporters didn't have to submit questions beforehand. He also said that what he said in press conferences was for reporters' general information, not for direct quotes. This helped the President be more open. Early often helped Roosevelt prepare for these conferences, suggesting questions and answers. A tradition also started where the main wire reporter would say, "Thank you, Mr. President," to end the session, which still happens today.
The Roosevelt White House, with Early's help, was very good at managing its relationship with the press. The number of White House staff also grew a lot during this time. Early also helped Roosevelt use radio for his famous "fireside chats," where the President spoke directly to the American people.
Eisenhower and James Hagerty
When Dwight D. Eisenhower became President, he chose James Hagerty to be his press secretary. Hagerty had been a reporter for The New York Times. His experience as a journalist helped him understand what reporters needed.
At his first meeting with White House reporters in 1953, Hagerty set rules that are still used today. He said he wouldn't play favorites or give exclusive stories. He promised to help reporters get the news, but also made it clear he worked for the President.
Hagerty started the practice of regularly scheduled presidential news conferences. He also changed a long-standing rule: for the first time, everything the President said at a press conference could be printed word-for-word. In 1955, newsreel and television cameras were allowed in presidential news conferences for the first time, making them even more public.
Hagerty was press secretary for eight years, which is still the longest time anyone has held the job. Eisenhower trusted Hagerty so much that the press secretary's role became a very important one, advising the President.
What the Press Secretary Does
The press secretary's main job is to gather information about what the President's administration is doing. They also keep up with events happening around the world. They then share this information with the media.
This includes telling reporters about the President's daily schedule. They also share who the President has met with. Most importantly, they explain the government's official view on the news of the day.
The press secretary usually answers questions from the White House press corps. These sessions are often televised. Sometimes they hold "press gaggles," which are briefings where reporters can use the information but there's no video recording. However, written notes of these sessions are usually made public.
Many people who have been press secretaries used to work in news. For example:
- Stephen Early (Roosevelt administration) was a reporter for the Associated Press.
- James Hagerty (Eisenhower administration) was a reporter for The New York Times.
- Pierre Salinger (Kennedy administration) was a reporter and editor.
- Tony Snow (George W. Bush administration) was a journalist and TV news anchor.
- Jay Carney (Obama administration) was a journalist for Time magazine.
- Kayleigh McEnany (Trump administration) was a political commentator.
- Jen Psaki (Biden administration) was a political commentator.
List of White House Press Secretaries
Denotes acting capacity. |
Image | Name | Start | End | Duration | President | |
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George Akerson | March 4, 1929 | March 16, 1931 | 2 years, 12 days | Herbert Hoover (1929–1933) |
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Ted Joslin | March 16, 1931 | March 4, 1933 | 1 year, 353 days | ||
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Stephen Early | March 4, 1933 | March 29, 1945 | 12 years, 25 days | Franklin D. Roosevelt (1933–1945) |
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Jonathan Daniels | March 29, 1945 | May 15, 1945 | 47 days | ||
Harry S. Truman (1945–1953) |
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Charlie Ross | May 15, 1945 | December 5, 1950 | 5 years, 204 days | ||
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Stephen Early Acting |
December 5, 1950 | December 18, 1950 | 13 days | ||
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Joseph Short | December 18, 1950 | September 18, 1952 | 1 year, 288 days | ||
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Roger Tubby | September 18, 1952 | January 20, 1953 | 124 days | ||
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James Hagerty | January 20, 1953 | January 20, 1961 | 8 years, 0 days | Dwight D. Eisenhower (1953–1961) |
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Pierre Salinger | January 20, 1961 | March 19, 1964 | 3 years, 59 days | John F. Kennedy (1961–1963) |
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Lyndon B. Johnson (1963–1969) |
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George Reedy | March 19, 1964 | July 8, 1965 | 1 year, 111 days | ||
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Bill Moyers | July 8, 1965 | February 1, 1967 | 1 year, 208 days | ||
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George Christian | February 1, 1967 | January 20, 1969 | 1 year, 354 days | ||
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Ron Ziegler | January 20, 1969 | August 9, 1974 | 5 years, 201 days | Richard Nixon (1969–1974) |
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Jerald terHorst | August 9, 1974 | September 9, 1974 | 31 days | Gerald Ford (1974–1977) |
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Ron Nessen | September 9, 1974 | January 20, 1977 | 2 years, 133 days | ||
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Jody Powell | January 20, 1977 | January 20, 1981 | 4 years, 0 days | Jimmy Carter (1977–1981) |
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Jim Brady | January 20, 1981 | March 30, 1981 (de facto) January 20, 1989 (de jure) |
69 days/ 8 years, 0 days |
Ronald Reagan (1981–1989) |
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Larry Speakes Acting |
March 30, 1981 | February 1, 1987 | 5 years, 308 days | ||
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Marlin Fitzwater | February 1, 1987 | January 20, 1989 | 1 year, 354 days | ||
January 20, 1989 | January 20, 1993 | 4 years, 0 days | George H. W. Bush (1989–1993) |
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Dee Dee Myers | January 20, 1993 | December 22, 1994 | 1 year, 336 days | Bill Clinton (1993–2001) |
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George Stephanopoulos De facto |
January 20, 1993 | June 7, 1993 | 138 days | ||
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Mike McCurry | December 22, 1994 | August 4, 1998 | 3 years, 225 days | ||
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Joe Lockhart | August 4, 1998 | September 29, 2000 | 2 years, 56 days | ||
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Jake Siewert | September 30, 2000 | January 20, 2001 | 112 days | ||
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Ari Fleischer | January 20, 2001 | July 15, 2003 | 2 years, 176 days | George W. Bush (2001–2009) |
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Scott McClellan | July 15, 2003 | May 10, 2006 | 2 years, 299 days | ||
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Tony Snow | May 10, 2006 | September 14, 2007 | 1 year, 127 days | ||
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Dana Perino | September 14, 2007 | January 20, 2009 | 1 year, 128 days | ||
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Robert Gibbs | January 20, 2009 | February 11, 2011 | 2 years, 22 days | Barack Obama (2009–2017) |
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Jay Carney | February 11, 2011 | June 20, 2014 | 3 years, 129 days | ||
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Josh Earnest | June 20, 2014 | January 20, 2017 | 2 years, 214 days | ||
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Sean Spicer | January 20, 2017 | July 21, 2017 | 182 days | Donald Trump (2017–2021) |
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Sarah Huckabee Sanders | July 21, 2017 | July 1, 2019 | 1 year, 345 days | ||
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Stephanie Grisham | July 1, 2019 | April 7, 2020 | 281 days | ||
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Kayleigh McEnany | April 7, 2020 | January 20, 2021 | 288 days | ||
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Jen Psaki | January 20, 2021 | May 13, 2022 | 1 year, 113 days | Joe Biden (2021–2025) |
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Karine Jean-Pierre | May 13, 2022 | January 20, 2025 | 2 years, 252 days | ||
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Karoline Leavitt | January 20, 2025 | Incumbent | 188 days | Donald Trump (2025–present) |
Images for kids
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In August 2006, President George W. Bush hosted seven White House press secretaries before the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room underwent renovation. From left, Joe Lockhart, Dee Dee Myers, Marlin Fitzwater, Bush, Tony Snow, Ron Nessen, and James Brady (seated) with his wife Sarah Brady.
See also
In Spanish: Secretario de Prensa de la Casa Blanca para niños
- Press secretary
- Kremlin Press Secretary