This 29-year-old former beauty queen
might become the new [music] mouthpiece
for the Trump administration. White
House press secretary Karoline Leavitt's
August 12th announcement that she's
leaving her role stunned the nation and
triggered a massive buzz about who might
replace her behind the briefing room
lectern. However, White House deputy
press secretary Anna Kelly has emerged
as a favorite to take on the role,
according to prediction markets. Given
that Kelly is immediately below Leavitt
in the White House communications
echelon, she could have a leg up on the
competition with direct experience
around the role. Nonetheless, Kelly
presents a distinctly unique resume for
a senior White House aide. Prior to her
career in politics, Kelly competed as a
beauty queen, winning Miss State Fair of
Virginia in 2019
and Miss Madison in Wisconsin in 2022.
She graduated from Auburn University
with a degree in political science in
2017 and later attended George
Washington University, where she earned
her master's in political management
[music] in 2021.
During her time at GW, Kelly began her
career in politics when she became the
communications director for the
Wisconsin Republican National Committee.
Just 3 years later, the Virginia native
found herself as the national press
secretary of the RNC. At the start of
President Trump's second term, Kelly was
selected as the principal deputy press
secretary, where she's been operating
under Karoline Leavitt. This year, Kelly
emerged in the spotlight while Leavitt
was away on maternity leave, taking on
the role as a public representative of
the administration.
>> Nothing's changed. The president, as he
said time and time again, is extremely
serious. Iran, a country that for 47
years has chanted death to America, has
threatened our troops overseas, can
never possess a nuclear [music] weapon.
>> Leavitt announced that she was departing
to spend more time raising her two young
children and is expected to remain a
close adviser to the president.
>> [music]
>> Sources within and close to the
administration told the post that other
early frontrunners for the role are
believed to include Alina Habba, the
former acting US attorney [music] for
New Jersey, and Breitbart Washington
Bureau Chief Matthew Boyle. A White
House source recently told the post that
Trump has not yet decided on a permanent
replacement for Levitt, who will be
leaving her role at the end of August.