White House Press Secretary facts for kids

Quick facts for kids White House Press Secretary
Incumbent Karoline Leavitt since January 20, 2025
White House Office of the Press Secretary
Appointer	President of the United States
Formation	March 4, 1929; 96 years ago (1929-03-04)
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.

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

Image	Name	Start	End	Duration	President
	Akerson, GeorgeGeorge Akerson	March 4, 1929	March 16, 1931	2 years, 12 days		Hoover, HerbertHerbert Hoover (1929–1933)
	Joslin, TedTed Joslin	March 16, 1931	March 4, 1933	1 year, 353 days
	Early, StephenStephen Early	March 4, 1933	March 29, 1945	12 years, 25 days		Roosevelt, Franklin D.Franklin D. Roosevelt (1933–1945)
	Daniels, JonathanJonathan Daniels	March 29, 1945	May 15, 1945	47 days
						Truman, Harry S.Harry S. Truman (1945–1953)
	Ross, CharlieCharlie Ross	May 15, 1945	December 5, 1950	5 years, 204 days
	Early, StephenStephen Early Acting	December 5, 1950	December 18, 1950	13 days
	Short, JosephJoseph Short	December 18, 1950	September 18, 1952	1 year, 288 days
	Tubby, RogerRoger Tubby	September 18, 1952	January 20, 1953	124 days
	Hagerty, JamesJames Hagerty	January 20, 1953	January 20, 1961	8 years, 0 days		Eisenhower, Dwight D.Dwight D. Eisenhower (1953–1961)
	Salinger, PierrePierre Salinger	January 20, 1961	March 19, 1964	3 years, 59 days		Kennedy, John F.John F. Kennedy (1961–1963)
						Johnson, Lyndon B.Lyndon B. Johnson (1963–1969)
	Reedy, GeorgeGeorge Reedy	March 19, 1964	July 8, 1965	1 year, 111 days
	Moyers, BillBill Moyers	July 8, 1965	February 1, 1967	1 year, 208 days
	Christian, GeorgeGeorge Christian	February 1, 1967	January 20, 1969	1 year, 354 days
	Ziegler, RonRon Ziegler	January 20, 1969	August 9, 1974	5 years, 201 days		Nixon, RichardRichard Nixon (1969–1974)
	terHorst, JeraldJerald terHorst	August 9, 1974	September 9, 1974	31 days		Ford, GeraldGerald Ford (1974–1977)
	Nessen, RonRon Nessen	September 9, 1974	January 20, 1977	2 years, 133 days
	Powell, JodyJody Powell	January 20, 1977	January 20, 1981	4 years, 0 days		Carter, JimmyJimmy Carter (1977–1981)
	Brady, JimJim Brady	January 20, 1981	March 30, 1981 (de facto) January 20, 1989 (de jure)	69 days/ 8 years, 0 days		Reagan, RonaldRonald Reagan (1981–1989)
	Speakes, LarryLarry Speakes Acting	March 30, 1981	February 1, 1987	5 years, 308 days
	Fitzwater, MarlinMarlin Fitzwater	February 1, 1987	January 20, 1989	1 year, 354 days
		January 20, 1989	January 20, 1993	4 years, 0 days		Bush, George H. W.George H. W. Bush (1989–1993)
	Myers, Dee DeeDee Dee Myers	January 20, 1993	December 22, 1994	1 year, 336 days		Clinton, BillBill Clinton (1993–2001)
	Stephanopoulos, GeorgeGeorge Stephanopoulos De facto	January 20, 1993	June 7, 1993	138 days
	McCurry, MikeMike McCurry	December 22, 1994	August 4, 1998	3 years, 225 days
	Lockhart, JoeJoe Lockhart	August 4, 1998	September 29, 2000	2 years, 56 days
	Siewert, JakeJake Siewert	September 30, 2000	January 20, 2001	112 days
	Fleischer, AriAri Fleischer	January 20, 2001	July 15, 2003	2 years, 176 days		Bush, George W.George W. Bush (2001–2009)
	McClellan, ScottScott McClellan	July 15, 2003	May 10, 2006	2 years, 299 days
	Snow, TonyTony Snow	May 10, 2006	September 14, 2007	1 year, 127 days
	Perino, DanaDana Perino	September 14, 2007	January 20, 2009	1 year, 128 days
	Gibbs, RobertRobert Gibbs	January 20, 2009	February 11, 2011	2 years, 22 days		Obama, BarackBarack Obama (2009–2017)
	Carney, JayJay Carney	February 11, 2011	June 20, 2014	3 years, 129 days
	Earnest, JoshJosh Earnest	June 20, 2014	January 20, 2017	2 years, 214 days
	Spicer, SeanSean Spicer	January 20, 2017	July 21, 2017	182 days		Trump, DonaldDonald Trump (2017–2021)
	Huckabee Sanders, SarahSarah Huckabee Sanders	July 21, 2017	July 1, 2019	1 year, 345 days
	Grisham, StephanieStephanie Grisham	July 1, 2019	April 7, 2020	281 days
	McEnany, KayleighKayleigh McEnany	April 7, 2020	January 20, 2021	288 days
	Psaki, JenJen Psaki	January 20, 2021	May 13, 2022	1 year, 113 days		Biden, JoeJoe Biden (2021–2025)
	Jean-Pierre, KarineKarine Jean-Pierre	May 13, 2022	January 20, 2025	2 years, 252 days
	Leavitt, KarolineKaroline Leavitt	January 20, 2025	Incumbent	188 days		Trump, DonaldDonald 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