One of the leading contenders to replace departing White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt is a California native who once worked for Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Pundits say a natural fit for the role would be Steven Cheung, who is already serving as the White House communications director. Cheung helped oversee some of Leavitt’s responsibilities while she was away on maternity leave.
Cheung, a longtime Trump adviser and spokesman known for his combative defense of the president, was born in Sacramento to Chinese immigrant parents. He attended California State University, Sacramento to study political science.
As a student, his communications career began as an intern to former Gov. Schwarzenegger. He later worked for a variety of political campaigns before landing a role with Ultimate Fighting Championship in 2013.
Since 2016, Cheung’s career has all been with Trump. The president even nicknamed him “Luca Brasi,” a ruthless enforcer who serves a mafia boss in the movie “The Godfather,” according to the book “Regime Change.”
After Leavitt’s announcement, Cheung posted a photo of the pair together and praised her “job well done.”
“Karoline has been the best teammate. She is fiercely loyal, unflappable, and a great person who serves the President with honor,” he wrote on X. “Although this is a sad day, we’re so happy for her and her family.”
Leavitt, 28, a mother of two and the youngest ever White House press secretary, gave birth to her second child, Viviana, in May and had officially returned from maternity leave last month. She said she was leaving to spend more time to her children.
Other names being floated to replace Leavitt include Anna Kelly, the White House principal deputy press secretary, and Taylor Rogers, a senior communications official who previously worked on Trump’s campaign.
Assistant Press Secretary Liz Huston and longtime Trump aide Margo Martin, one of the president’s closest communications advisers, could also be promoted to the role.
White House press secretaries have traditionally been drawn from within the administration’s communications team.
On predictions site Kalshi, Cheung was given a 13% chance to succeed Leavitt as of Wednesday afternoon. Bettors predicted that only Kelly and Alina Habba, a former personal lawyer for Trump, had higher odds, at 74% and 21%, respectively.
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