Karoline Leavitt ’19, appointed as the White House Press Secretary, has been sparking conversation from her work as Press Secretary in recent press conferences. The students of Saint Anselm have voiced some of their opinions on the Saint Anselm graduate and the work that she is doing in Washington D.C.
Most students preferred to be interviewed and quoted anonymously, but one student commented on the influence that Leavitt has on the college’s reputation. The student said “I was in Newport, Rhode Island over Spring Break getting a latte at a local coffee shop, where the barista asked me where I went to school. When I mentioned that I attend Saint Anselm College, she responded with ‘Oh, it must be a tough time for you right now because of the Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt and all of the press and attention it is bringing to the school’. For her it was definitely a negative view and opinion on the school.”
Another student, remaining anonymous, said “I think even if she doesn’t agree with the things that she says, I think it shows that she has poor judgment, because she is willingly misleading the American people. A lot of people say that as a defense of her, ‘oh, well maybe she just doesn’t believe it and is just saying it cause it’s her job,’ but I don’t think that somebody should compromise their judgment because it’s harming the country.”
Another student, anonymously, mentioned the fact that their cousin attended Saint Anselm and graduated in the same class as Leavitt. The student said, “according to my cousin, she was a smart girl.,” and “[the cousin] applauds her for her hard work and dedication to her job.” The student then followed up with a personal stance on Leavitt and said “I personally don’t agree with the majority of her beliefs or the administration she is working for. I think as a woman it is difficult to see some of the things she is reporting on behalf of the current administration. I do think it is very cool that she graduated from St. A’s and is working in the White House though.”
Another student feels similarly, regarding the fact that a Saint Anselm graduate is working in the White House. Nicole Minnich ’25 said “I think it’s very cool that she got the opportunity to do that, but I haven’t really seen a ton of stuff that she has said in press conferences.”
“I think I’ve seen that she wasn’t letting reporters ask questions and was being kind of rude to them, and I think not letting reporters ask questions is bad because she is supposed to be representing the President, and you should be able to ask any question you want about a policy-we have to know what it is and what the point of it is,” Minnich said.
“This is America,” Minnich said, “and we have the right to know what’s going on, and why.”
Although opinions are skewed about Leavitt and her work in the White House, students are keeping themselves updated on Leavitt and how her work impacts the country and the legacy at Saint Anselm.