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President Donald Trump has hired Beni Rae Harmony, a 24-year-old White House correspondent for the right-wing network Real America's Voice, as a White House spokesperson and assistant press secretary. The hire was announced on Friday, October 2, and she is scheduled to start on Monday, October 5.
Harmony spent barely a year covering the White House before switching sides. She joined Real America's Voice in September 2025 and quickly became a fixture in the press pool, traveling with Trump as far as Ireland. TMZ reported that on September 13, Trump was spotted carrying a stack of papers with "Beni Rae Harmony" printed in bold at the top. Sources told the outlet that Trump had taken a liking to her and wanted her on his team.
White House Principal Deputy Press Secretary Anna Kelly confirmed the appointment to TMZ. "Beni Rae Harmony has been a trusted voice for the MAGA movement as a White House correspondent. She will be an outstanding addition to President Trump's communications team as an Assistant Press Secretary -- we look forward to having her on board," Kelly said. Harmony announced the move herself on social media Friday evening, saying she was grateful for Trump's trust, looked forward to "serving the American people and continuing to fight for the American Dream," and that her goal had always been to ask the questions that matter to real Americans.
Before Real America's Voice, Harmony was a news anchor and lifestyle host at WICS Newschannel 20, an ABC affiliate in Springfield, Illinois, where she hosted the Marketplace show. After the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, she delivered an emotional on-air tribute to him and was suspended. The clash turned out to be personal: Harmony had previously worked as a producer and administrator at Kirk's Turning Point USA and considered him a mentor. She called the tribute non-partisan, refused demands to take the segment down from her social media, and resigned, saying her decision was guided by faith and love of country. Earlier in her career she served as director of public affairs for a U.S. political campaign, deputy press secretary for members of the U.S. House, and hosted a radio show and podcasts. She began working in journalism at 18.
Harmony's hiring fills only the second row. The top job has been vacant since Karoline Leavitt, 29, stepped down at the end of August after giving birth to her second child, saying she could not be the mother her two young children deserved while meeting the demands of the role. Trump paid tribute to her on Truth Social, calling her "one of the best White House Press Secretaries in the History of the Office" and saying she would remain a top outside adviser. The search for her replacement continues: names floated in recent weeks include Fox News correspondent Peter Doocy, conservative commentator Scott Jennings, and deputy press secretary Anna Kelly. Trump has acknowledged that many candidates are eager for the job but said the final decision is still pending.
The timing is telling. A couple of weeks ago, Trump announced that CNN, MS NOW, and Politico were barred from the White House; all three outlets sued him and his administration. Last weekend, Real America's Voice took CNN's spot aboard Air Force One for Trump's trip to Tennessee for a college football game. Harmony being photographed speaking with Trump on that same flight, then hired days later, is the pattern in miniature: outlets the president trusts move closer, and now a correspondent for one of them moves inside the building.
What to watch: how Harmony performs once she steps behind the podium instead of sitting in the briefing room, and when Trump finally names Leavitt's permanent successor. At 24, with three-plus years in broadcast journalism and modest political experience, she will be tested quickly -- and the press corps she is leaving behind will be watching.