President-elect Donald Trump reached into his inner circle on Friday and chose his transition spokesperson, Karoline Leavitt, as his White House press secretary, putting a 27-year-old firebrand in position to aggressively defend him.
Leavitt has endeared herself to Trump by her ardent defense of him in news interviews and her take-no-prisoners style, Trump advisers 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," Trump said in a statement.
Leavitt will be the youngest person to ever hold the title of White House press secretary. Ron Ziegler was the previous youngest press secretary at age 29 when President Richard Nixon gave him the position in 1969.