Karoline Leavitt, the youngest White House press secretary, makes her debut in the briefing room

WASHINGTON (AP) — White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt made her debut in the briefing room on Tuesday and promised to speak frequently with the news media and open up the briefing room to podcasters and social media influencers.

In her first briefing as the public face of President Donald Trump’s second administration, Leavitt spent about 47 minutes answering questions from the White House press corps on the impact of a White House freeze on federal grants and loans and on the early days of the administration's efforts to deport migrants living in the U.S. illegally.

While Trump often speaks for himself, Leavitt has the responsibility of translating what his remarks could mean for his policies and politics.

“I can assure you that you’ll be hearing from both him and me as much as possible,” Leavitt said.

A close look at his press secretary:

At age 27, the New Hampshire native is the youngest person ever to be named White House press secretary. She’s the sixth working mother in a row to hold the post.

Leavitt attended Saint Anselm College, a liberal arts school in Manchester, New Hampshire, on an athletic scholarship. She played on the softball team and graduated in 2019 with a bachelor’s degree in politics and communication, the first in her immediate family to earn a college degree.

Leavitt “quickly learned it wasn’t athletics I was interested in. It was politics, public service, news,” she told a county Republican group in New Hampshire in 2022 as she explored running for Congress.

She wanted to be a reporter, and even worked for local TV station WMUR, but ultimately was “glad I didn’t continue down that path, working on the dark side.”

She wanted to get involved in the political process. Trump was the inspiration to her.

In his first term, Leavitt applied for a White House internship and was “stunned” to be accepted. She worked in the correspondence office, where she wrote letters in the president’s name.

She later approached Kayleigh McEnany, the fourth and final press secretary of Trump’s term, for a job in the press office. She joined as an assistant press secretary.

“I was immediately impressed by her evident drive and her genuinely positive demeanor,” McEnany, now a co-host of Fox News Channel’s ”Outnumbered,” said in an email. “Karoline is sharp, professional, and enterprising, and I knew that I wanted to hire her on the spot.”

After Trump lost reelection in 2020, Leavitt became communications director for Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik of New York, one of Trump’s staunchest defenders in the House. Trump recently nominated Stefanik to become the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.

Leavitt still maintains, as does Trump, that the 2020 election was stolen from him despite the findings of courts, independent watchdogs and Trump’s then-attorney general.

She left Stefanik’s office to run for a seat in Congress from New Hampshire. She won a 10-way primary for the Republican nomination, including defeating Trump administration alum Matt Mowers, before losing to Democratic Rep. Chris Pappas in the general election.

Mowers said Leavitt is a hard worker and strong communicator.

“She knows how to sharpen the points that she wants to get across and she communicates them consistently and is pretty good staying on message,” Mowers said in a telephone interview.

Leavitt was national spokesperson for Trump’s campaign, traveling and aggressively promoting his policies and defending him during frequent TV appearances. She did the same during the transition after Trump was reelected. As expected, he later tapped her to be White House press secretary.

Leavitt, who is married, gave birth to her first child, a boy named Nicholas, three days before Trump was wounded in an assassination attempt in Pennsylvania last July. She quickly returned to work.

“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.”

Trump had four press secretaries in his first term.

Leavitt started the question period in her first briefing by calling on the outlets Axios and Breitbart News, saying that non-traditional outlets would play a bigger role going forward in the White House.

“We welcome independent journalists, podcasters, social media influencers and content creators to apply for credentials to cover this White House,” she said.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt speaks at the daily briefing at the White House in Washington Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis)

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt speaks with reporters in the James Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House, Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt arrives to speak with reporters in the James Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House, Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt speaks at the daily briefing at the White House in Washington Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis)

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt speaks at the daily briefing at the White House in Washington, Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis)

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt walks off after speaking at the daily briefing at the White House in Washington Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis)

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt speaks during a briefing at the White House, Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt speaks during a briefing at the White House, Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt speaks during a briefing at the White House, Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt speaks with reporters in the James Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House, Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt speaks with reporters in the James Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House, Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt speaks with reporters in the James Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House, Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt speaks during a briefing at the White House, Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt speaks during a briefing at the White House, Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt speaks during a briefing at the White House, Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt speaks during a briefing at the White House, Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt speaks during a briefing at the White House, Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt speaks during a briefing at the White House, Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt speaks during a briefing at the White House, Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt speaks during a briefing at the White House, Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt speaks during a briefing at the White House, Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

FILE - President Donald Trump speaks to reporters aboard Air Force One en route from Miami to Joint Base Andrews, Md., Jan. 27, 2025, as White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt listens. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, File)

FILE - President Donald Trump speaks to reporters aboard Air Force One en route from Miami to Joint Base Andrews, Md., Jan. 27, 2025, as White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt listens. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, File)

FILE - White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt watches as President Donald Trump signs executive orders in the Oval Office of the White House, Jan. 20, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)

FILE - White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt speaks with reporters at the White House, Jan. 22, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)

President Donald Trump speaks to reporters aboard Air Force One en route from Miami to Joint Base Andrews, Md., Monday, Jan. 27, 2025, as White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt listens. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

President Donald Trump speaks to reporters aboard Air Force One en route from Miami to Joint Base Andrews, Md., Monday, Jan. 27, 2025, as White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt listens. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt watches as President Donald Trump signs executive orders in the Oval Office of the White House, Monday, Jan. 20, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt speaks with reporters at the White House, Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

A group of Buddhist monks and their rescue dog are striding single file down country roads and highways across the South, captivating Americans nationwide and inspiring droves of locals to greet them along their route.

In their flowing saffron and ocher robes, the men are walking for peace. It's a meditative tradition more common in South Asian countries, and it's resonating now in the U.S., seemingly as a welcome respite from the conflict, trauma and politics dividing the nation.

Their journey began Oct. 26, 2025, at a Vietnamese Buddhist temple in Texas, and is scheduled to end in mid-February in Washington, D.C., where they will ask Congress to recognize Buddha’s day of birth and enlightenment as a federal holiday. Beyond promoting peace, their highest priority is connecting with people along the way.

“My hope is, when this walk ends, the people we met will continue practicing mindfulness and find peace,” said the Venerable Bhikkhu Pannakara, the group’s soft-spoken leader who is making the trek barefoot. He teaches about mindfulness, forgiveness and healing at every stop.

Preferring to sleep each night in tents pitched outdoors, the monks have been surprised to see their message transcend ideologies, drawing huge crowds into churchyards, city halls and town squares across six states. Documenting their journey on social media, they — and their dog, Aloka — have racked up millions of followers online. On Saturday, thousands thronged in Columbia, South Carolina, where the monks chanted on the steps of the State House and received a proclamation from the city's mayor, Daniel Rickenmann.

At their stop Thursday in Saluda, South Carolina, Audrie Pearce joined the crowd lining Main Street. She had driven four hours from her village of Little River, and teared up as Pannakara handed her a flower.

“There’s something traumatic and heart-wrenching happening in our country every day,” said Pearce, who describes herself as spiritual, but not religious. “I looked into their eyes and I saw peace. They’re putting their bodies through such physical torture and yet they radiate peace.”

Hailing from Theravada Buddhist monasteries across the globe, the 19 monks began their 2,300 mile (3,700 kilometer) trek at the Huong Dao Vipassana Bhavana Center in Fort Worth.

Their journey has not been without peril. On Nov. 19, as the monks were walking along U.S. Highway 90 near Dayton, Texas, their escort vehicle was hit by a distracted truck driver, injuring two monks. One of them lost his leg, reducing the group to 18.

This is Pannakara's first trek in the U.S., but he's walked across several South Asian countries, including a 112-day journey across India in 2022 where he first encountered Aloka, an Indian Pariah dog whose name means divine light in Sanskrit.

Then a stray, the dog followed him and other monks from Kolkata in eastern India all the way to the Nepal border. At one point, he fell critically ill and Pannakara scooped him up in his arms and cared for him until he recovered. Now, Aloka inspires him to keep going when he feels like giving up.

“I named him light because I want him to find the light of wisdom,” Pannakara said.

The monk's feet are now heavily bandaged because he's stepped on rocks, nails and glass along the way. His practice of mindfulness keeps him joyful despite the pain from these injuries, he said.

Still, traversing the southeast United States has presented unique challenges, and pounding pavement day after day has been brutal.

“In India, we can do shortcuts through paddy fields and farms, but we can’t do that here because there are a lot of private properties,” Pannakara said. “But what’s made it beautiful is how people have welcomed and hosted us in spite of not knowing who we are and what we believe.”

In Opelika, Alabama, the Rev. Patrick Hitchman-Craig hosted the monks on Christmas night at his United Methodist congregation.

He expected to see a small crowd, but about 1,000 people showed up, creating the feel of a block party. The monks seemed like the Magi, he said, appearing on Christ’s birthday.

“Anyone who is working for peace in the world in a way that is public and sacrificial is standing close to the heart of Jesus, whether or not they share our tradition,” said Hitchman-Craig. “I was blown away by the number of people and the diversity of who showed up.”

After their night on the church lawn, the monks arrived the next afternoon at the Collins Farm in Cusseta, Alabama. Judy Collins Allen, whose father and brother run the farm, said about 200 people came to meet the monks — the biggest gathering she’s ever witnessed there.

“There was a calm, warmth and sense of community among people who had not met each other before and that was so special,” she said.

Long Si Dong, a spokesperson for the Fort Worth temple, said the monks, when they arrive in Washington, plan to seek recognition of Vesak, the day which marks the birth and enlightenment of the Buddha, as a national holiday.

“Doing so would acknowledge Vesak as a day of reflection, compassion and unity for all people regardless of faith,” he said.

But Pannakara emphasized that their main goal is to help people achieve peace in their lives. The trek is also a separate endeavor from a $200 million campaign to build towering monuments on the temple’s 14-acre property to house the Buddha’s teachings engraved in stone, according to Dong.

The monks practice and teach Vipassana meditation, an ancient Indian technique taught by the Buddha himself as core for attaining enlightenment. It focuses on the mind-body connection — observing breath and physical sensations to understand reality, impermanence and suffering. Some of the monks, including Pannakara, walk barefoot to feel the ground directly and be present in the moment.

Pannakara has told the gathered crowds that they don't aim to convert people to Buddhism.

Brooke Schedneck, professor of religion at Rhodes College in Memphis, Tennessee, said the tradition of a peace walk in Theravada Buddhism began in the 1990s when the Venerable Maha Ghosananda, a Cambodian monk, led marches across war-torn areas riddled with landmines to foster national healing after civil war and genocide in his country.

“These walks really inspire people and inspire faith,” Schedneck said. “The core intention is to have others watch and be inspired, not so much through words, but through how they are willing to make this sacrifice by walking and being visible.”

On Thursday, Becki Gable drove nearly 400 miles (about 640 kilometers) from Cullman, Alabama, to catch up with them in Saluda. Raised Methodist, Gable said she wanted some release from the pain of losing her daughter and parents.

“I just felt in my heart that this would help me have peace,” she said. “Maybe I could move a little bit forward in my life.”

Gable says she has already taken one of Pannakara’s teachings to heart. She’s promised herself that each morning, as soon as she awakes, she’d take a piece of paper and write five words on it, just as the monk prescribed.

“Today is my peaceful day.”

Freelance photojournalist Allison Joyce contributed to this report.

Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.

Buddhist monks who are participating in the, "Walk For Peace," get lunch Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in Saluda, S.C. (AP Photo/Allison Joyce)

Aloka rests with Buddhist monks who are participating in the, "Walk For Peace," Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in Saluda, S.C. (AP Photo/Allison Joyce)

A sign is seen greeting the Buddhist monks who are participating in the, "Walk For Peace," Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in Saluda, S.C. (AP Photo/Allison Joyce)

Supporters pray with Buddhist monks who are participating in the, "Walk For Peace," Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in Saluda, S.C. (AP Photo/Allison Joyce)

Supporters watch Buddhist monks who are participating in the, "Walk For Peace," Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in Saluda, S.C. (AP Photo/Allison Joyce)

A Buddhist monk ties a prayer bracelet around the wrist of Josey Lee, 2-months-old, during the, "Walk For Peace," Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in Saluda, S.C. (AP Photo/Allison Joyce)

Bhikkhu Pannakara, a spiritual leader, speaks to supporters during the, "Walk For Peace," Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in Saluda, S.C. (AP Photo/Allison Joyce)

Buddhist monks participate in the, "Walk For Peace," Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in Saluda, S.C. (AP Photo/Allison Joyce)

Buddhist monks participate in the, "Walk For Peace," Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in Saluda, S.C. (AP Photo/Allison Joyce)

Bhikkhu Pannakara leads other buddhist monks in the, "Walk For Peace," Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in Saluda, S.C. (AP Photo/Allison Joyce)

Audrie Pearce greets Buddhist monks who are participating in the, "Walk For Peace," Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in Saluda, S.C. (AP Photo/Allison Joyce)

Bhikkhu Pannakara, a spiritual leader, speaks to supporters during the, "Walk For Peace," Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in Saluda, S.C. (AP Photo/Allison Joyce)

Buddhist monks who are participating in the, "Walk For Peace," arrive in Saluda, Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in Saluda, S.C. (AP Photo/Allison Joyce)

Buddhist monks who are participating in the, "Walk For Peace," are seen with their dog, Aloka, Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in Saluda, S.C. (AP Photo/Allison Joyce)