Karoline Leavitt has a huge admirer who thinks she is ‘incredible' – and he is close to Barron Trump
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt has a huge admirer – and he is none other than Barron Trump's best friend, 18-year-old Bo Loudon. Loudon has been in the spotlight for a long time now, ever since he began sharing posts in support of Donald Trump during the 2024 campaign.
Loudon's admiration for Leavitt, 27, first became clear when he congratulated her following her appointment, in a celebratory post on X. In February, he took to TikTok to share a picture of him and Leavitt with their arm around the other, writing, 'Just bumped into my talented and incredible friend Karoline Leavitt at President Trump's Mar-a-Lago club.'
Just a few days ago, Loudon shared another photo with Leavitt on X, captioning it, 'It's such an honor to be the youngest person to ask @KarolineLeavitt, the youngest Press Secretary in history, a question as part of the New Media Briefings. God bless President Trump, Karoline Leavitt, and this incredible administration!'
Loudon also gushed over Leavitt at a recent White House event, describing her as 'wildly popular … and definitely an inspiration to Gen Z.' He asked Leavitt, "What has been the biggest highlight for you in these first 100 days ?' Answering the question, the press secretary called herself a 'zillennial, because I'm right on the cusp of millennial and Gen Z.'
Leavitt stressed the president's confidence in the strength and potential of young Americans across the country, telling Loudon, 'Like yourself, here at the White House at just 18 years old. Thanks for being here.'
Leavitt is married to Nicholas Roccio, who is at least 30 years older than her. The couple tied the knot just a few days before Trump's inauguration this year.
Loudon is the son of former Missouri state senator John William Loudon and conservative commentator Gina Loudon. He was recently praised by Conor McGregor.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New Indian Express
36 minutes ago
- New Indian Express
AI literacy: What it is, what it isn't, who needs it, why it's hard to define
MUNICH/ WEST LAFAYETTE: It is the policy of the United States to promote AI literacy and proficiency among Americans, reads an executive order President Donald Trump issued on April 23, 2025. The executive order, titled Advancing Artificial Intelligence Education for American Youth, signals that advancing AI literacy is now an official national priority. This raises a series of important questions: What exactly is AI literacy, who needs it, and how do you go about building it thoughtfully and responsibly? The implications of AI literacy, or lack thereof, are far-reaching. They extend beyond national ambitions to remain a global leader in this technological revolution -- or even prepare an -- AI-skilled workforce, as the executive order states. Without basic literacy, citizens and consumers are not well equipped to understand the algorithmic platforms and decisions that affect so many domains of their lives: government services, privacy, lending, health care, news recommendations and more. And the lack of AI literacy risks ceding important aspects of society's future to a handful of multinational companies. How, then, can institutions help people understand and use or resist AI as individuals, workers, parents, innovators, job seekers, students, employers and citizens? We are a policy scientist and two educational researchers who study AI literacy, and we explore these issues in our research. What AI literacy is and isn't At its foundation, AI literacy includes a mix of knowledge, skills and attitudes that are technical, social and ethical in nature. According to one prominent definition, AI literacy refers to a set of competencies that enables individuals to critically evaluate AI technologies; communicate and collaborate effectively with AI; and use AI as a tool online, at home, and in the workplace. AI literacy is not simply programming or the mechanics of neural networks, and it is certainly not just prompt engineering that is, the act of carefully writing prompts for chatbots. Vibe coding, or using AI to write software code, might be fun and important, but restricting the definition of literacy to the newest trend or the latest need of employers won't cover the bases in the long term. And while a single master definition may not be needed, or even desirable, too much variation makes it tricky to decide on organizational, educational or policy strategies. Who needs AI literacy? Everyone, including the employees and students using it, and the citizens grappling with its growing impacts. Every sector and sphere of society is now involved with AI, even if this isn't always easy for people to see. Exactly how much literacy everyone needs and how to get there is a much tougher question. Are a few quick HR training sessions enough, or do we need to embed AI across K-12 curricula and deliver university micro-credentials and hands-on workshops? There is much that researchers don't know, which leads to the need to measure AI literacy and the effectiveness of different training approaches. Measuring AI literacy While there is a growing and bipartisan consensus that AI literacy matters, there's much less consensus on how to actually understand people's AI literacy levels. Researchers have focused on different aspects, such as technical or ethical skills, or on different populations for example, business managers and students or even on subdomains like generative AI. A recent review study identified more than a dozen questionnaires designed to measure AI literacy, the vast majority of which rely on self-reported responses to questions and statements such as -- I feel confident about using AI. There's also a lack of testing to see whether these questionnaires work well for people from different cultural backgrounds. Moreover, the rise of generative AI has exposed gaps and challenges: Is it possible to create a stable way to measure AI literacy when AI is itself so dynamic? In our research collaboration, we've tried to help address some of these problems. In particular, we've focused on creating objective knowledge assessments, such as multiple-choice surveys tested with thorough statistical analyses to ensure that they accurately measure AI literacy. We've so far tested a multiple-choice survey in the U.S., U.K. and Germany and found that it works consistently and fairly across these three countries. There's a lot more work to do to create reliable and feasible testing approaches. But going forward, just asking people to self-report their AI literacy probably isn't enough to understand where different groups of people are and what supports they need. Approaches to building AI literacy Governments, universities and industry are trying to advance AI literacy. Finland launched the Elements of AI series in 2018 with the hope of educating its general public on AI. Estonia's AI Leap initiative partners with Anthropic and OpenAI to provide access to AI tools for tens of thousands of students and thousands of teachers.
Economic Times
an hour ago
- Economic Times
Trump administration gives personal data of immigrant medicaid enrollees to deportation officials
US President Donald Trump's administration this week provided deportation officials with personal data, including the immigration status, on millions of Medicaid enrollees, a move that could make it easier to locate people as part of his sweeping immigration internal memo and emails obtained by The Associated Press show that Medicaid officials unsuccessfully sought to block the data transfer, citing legal and ethical concerns. Nevertheless, two top advisers to Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr ordered the dataset handed over to the Department of Homeland Security, the emails show. Officials at the Centres for Medicare and Medicaid Services were given just 54 minutes on Tuesday to comply with the directive. The dataset includes the information of people living in California, Illinois, Washington state and Washington, DC, all of which allow non-US citizens to enrol in Medicaid programmes that pay for their expenses using only state taxpayer dollars. CMS transferred the information just as the Trump administration was ramping up its enforcement efforts in Southern California. (Join our ETNRI WhatsApp channel for all the latest updates) Besides helping authorities locate migrants, experts said, the government could also use the information to scuttle the hopes of migrants seeking green cards, permanent residency or citizenship if they had ever obtained Medicaid benefits funded by the federal government. California Governor Gavin Newsom's office said in a statement that it was concerned about how deportation officials might utilise the data, especially as federal authorities conduct immigration raids with the assistance of National Guard troops and Marines in Los Angeles."We deeply value the privacy of all Californians," the statement said. "This potential data transfer brought to our attention by the AP is extremely concerning, and if true, potentially unlawful, particularly given numerous headlines highlighting potential improper federal use of personal information and federal actions to target the personal information of Americans." Some California lawmakers on Friday also expressed alarm. US Rep. Laura Friedman, a Democrat, wrote on X that "we should never use a person's need to go to the doctor against them. This will only lead to more chaos and pain in our communities".US Health and Human Services spokesperson Andrew Nixon said the data sharing was legal. He declined to answer questions about why the data was shared with DHS and how it would be used."With respect to the recent data sharing between CMS and DHS, HHS acted entirely within its legal authority -- and in full compliance with all applicable laws -- to ensure that Medicaid benefits are reserved for individuals who are lawfully entitled to receive them," Nixon official with DHS, Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin, said in a statement that Trump "promised to protect Medicaid for eligible beneficiaries. To keep that promise after Joe Biden flooded our country with tens of millions of illegal aliens CMS and DHS are exploring an initiative to ensure that illegal aliens are not receiving Medicaid benefits that are meant for law-abiding Americans".The initiative appears to be part of a broader effort by the Trump administration to provide DHS with more data on migrants. In May, for example, a federal judge refused to block the Internal Revenue Service from sharing immigrants' tax data with Immigration and Customs Enforcement to help agents locate and detain people living without legal status in the US. A targeted review of millions of immigrant Medicaid enrollees CMS announced late last month that it was reviewing some state's Medicaid enrollees to ensure federal funds have not been used to pay for coverage for people with "unsatisfactory immigration status". In a letter sent to state Medicaid officials, CMS said that the effort was part of Trump's February 19 executive order titled "Ending Taxpayer Subsidisation of Open Border".As part of the review, California, Washington and Illinois shared details about non-US citizens who have enrolled in their states' Medicaid programme, according to a June 6 memo signed by Medicaid Deputy Director Sara Vitolo that was obtained by the AP. The memo was written by several CMS officials under Vitolo's supervision, according to sources familiar with the data includes addresses, names, social security numbers and claims data for enrollees in those states, according to the memo and two people familiar with what the states sent to CMS. Both individuals spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to share details about the data officials attempted to fight the data-sharing request from Homeland Security, saying that to do so would violate federal laws, including the Social Security Act and the Privacy Act of 1974, according to Vitolo's memo."Multiple federal statutory and regulatory authorities do not permit CMS to share this information with entities outside of CMS," Vitolo wrote, further explaining that the sharing of such personal data is only allowed for directly administering the Medicaid information about Medicaid applicants or enrollees with DHS officials would violate a "long-standing policy", wrote Vitolo, a career employee, to Trump appointee Kim Brandt, deputy administrator and chief operating officer of CMS.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Trump administration gives personal data of immigrant medicaid enrollees to deportation officials
US President Donald Trump 's administration this week provided deportation officials with personal data, including the immigration status, on millions of Medicaid enrollees, a move that could make it easier to locate people as part of his sweeping immigration crackdown. An internal memo and emails obtained by The Associated Press show that Medicaid officials unsuccessfully sought to block the data transfer, citing legal and ethical concerns. Nevertheless, two top advisers to Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr ordered the dataset handed over to the Department of Homeland Security , the emails show. Officials at the Centres for Medicare and Medicaid Services were given just 54 minutes on Tuesday to comply with the directive. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Access all TV channels anywhere, anytime Techno Mag Learn More Undo The dataset includes the information of people living in California, Illinois, Washington state and Washington, DC, all of which allow non-US citizens to enrol in Medicaid programmes that pay for their expenses using only state taxpayer dollars. CMS transferred the information just as the Trump administration was ramping up its enforcement efforts in Southern California. (Join our ETNRI WhatsApp channel for all the latest updates) Besides helping authorities locate migrants, experts said, the government could also use the information to scuttle the hopes of migrants seeking green cards, permanent residency or citizenship if they had ever obtained Medicaid benefits funded by the federal government. Live Events You Might Also Like: Nationwide protests erupt in the US over ICE raids as Trump deploys troops, plans military parade California Governor Gavin Newsom's office said in a statement that it was concerned about how deportation officials might utilise the data, especially as federal authorities conduct immigration raids with the assistance of National Guard troops and Marines in Los Angeles. "We deeply value the privacy of all Californians," the statement said. "This potential data transfer brought to our attention by the AP is extremely concerning, and if true, potentially unlawful, particularly given numerous headlines highlighting potential improper federal use of personal information and federal actions to target the personal information of Americans." Some California lawmakers on Friday also expressed alarm. US Rep. Laura Friedman, a Democrat, wrote on X that "we should never use a person's need to go to the doctor against them. This will only lead to more chaos and pain in our communities". US Health and Human Services spokesperson Andrew Nixon said the data sharing was legal. He declined to answer questions about why the data was shared with DHS and how it would be used. You Might Also Like: Trump travel ban in effect, citizens from 12 nations barred from US "With respect to the recent data sharing between CMS and DHS, HHS acted entirely within its legal authority -- and in full compliance with all applicable laws -- to ensure that Medicaid benefits are reserved for individuals who are lawfully entitled to receive them," Nixon said. An official with DHS, Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin, said in a statement that Trump "promised to protect Medicaid for eligible beneficiaries. To keep that promise after Joe Biden flooded our country with tens of millions of illegal aliens CMS and DHS are exploring an initiative to ensure that illegal aliens are not receiving Medicaid benefits that are meant for law-abiding Americans". The initiative appears to be part of a broader effort by the Trump administration to provide DHS with more data on migrants. In May, for example, a federal judge refused to block the Internal Revenue Service from sharing immigrants' tax data with Immigration and Customs Enforcement to help agents locate and detain people living without legal status in the US. A targeted review of millions of immigrant Medicaid enrollees CMS announced late last month that it was reviewing some state's Medicaid enrollees to ensure federal funds have not been used to pay for coverage for people with "unsatisfactory immigration status". In a letter sent to state Medicaid officials, CMS said that the effort was part of Trump 's February 19 executive order titled "Ending Taxpayer Subsidisation of Open Border". As part of the review, California, Washington and Illinois shared details about non-US citizens who have enrolled in their states' Medicaid programme, according to a June 6 memo signed by Medicaid Deputy Director Sara Vitolo that was obtained by the AP. The memo was written by several CMS officials under Vitolo's supervision, according to sources familiar with the process. The data includes addresses, names, social security numbers and claims data for enrollees in those states, according to the memo and two people familiar with what the states sent to CMS. Both individuals spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to share details about the data exchange. CMS officials attempted to fight the data-sharing request from Homeland Security, saying that to do so would violate federal laws, including the Social Security Act and the Privacy Act of 1974, according to Vitolo's memo. "Multiple federal statutory and regulatory authorities do not permit CMS to share this information with entities outside of CMS," Vitolo wrote, further explaining that the sharing of such personal data is only allowed for directly administering the Medicaid programme. Sharing information about Medicaid applicants or enrollees with DHS officials would violate a "long-standing policy", wrote Vitolo, a career employee, to Trump appointee Kim Brandt, deputy administrator and chief operating officer of CMS.
