Beni Rae Harmony is a 24-year-old American journalist and political communications staffer from the Springfield, Illinois, area. She spent the past year covering President Donald Trump at the White House and has now moved inside it. She previously worked as a local television anchor and held press and campaign roles tied to Republican members of Congress and a Virginia congressional race. Beni Rae Harmony spent time at Turning Point USA, where she has described Charlie Kirk as a mentor. On Friday, October 2, 2026, Beni Rae Harmony announced that she was joining the administration as assistant press secretary and White House spokesperson. Shortly afterward, a 2021 photograph of her holding a rifle while wearing a shirt that read "F*** JOE BIDEN" circulated widely online.The photograph dates to her earlier campaign work, not to her new White House post. As reported by The Daily Beast, former Republican Virginia congressional candidate Jarome Bell posted the image on Instagram in 2021. The caption described her as his campaign public affairs director and said:"My campaign Public Affairs Director @beniraeharmony is a beast. This is how we roll." As per The Daily Beast, her official Instagram account liked the post. Bell ran for Congress in 2022 in the Virginia Beach area. Harmony's LinkedIn profile lists her around that period as director of public affairs for a U.S. political campaign, with duties that included serving as a liaison for the Republican Party of Virginia Beach.As The Independent reported, the 2021 photograph drew fresh attention after anti-MAGA accounts shared it following her hiring announcement. The Daily Beast noted that she joins the press team after former Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt resigned in August 2026. Beni Rae Harmony traveled with the press pool on President Donald Trump's trip to Ireland last month. The week before her announcement, she filled CNN's spot on Air Force One during a trip to Tennessee for a college football game.In her post on X announcing the role, Beni Rae Harmony wrote:"I'm excited to announce that I am joining the Trump Administration as Asst. White House Press Secretary. It's been an honor to report, travel, and cover this historic administration as Senior White House Correspondent for Real America's Voice. My goal has always been to ask questions that matter to real Americans and make sure their voices are heard. I'm incredibly grateful to President Trump for this opportunity and his trust."She continued:"I'm looking forward to this next chapter - serving the American people and continuing to fight for the American Dream. America First."Anna Kelly, the White House principal deputy press secretary, confirmed the appointment. According to The Independent, Kelly said:"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."Beni Rae Harmony's education and professional backgroundBeni Rae Harmony professional details (Image via Instagram/@beniraeharmony)According to her LinkedIn profile and biographical accounts, Harmony studied at Arizona State University and is currently enrolled at the University of Illinois Springfield. She earned an associate degree in global management from Arizona State. She is pursuing a degree in political science and government from the University of Illinois Springfield (UIS). She states the reason for enrolling at UIS is to stay close to her home because her mother is battling cancer. Her early professional work on LinkedIn shows internships and press roles connected to Arizona Republican Congressman Paul Gosar and former Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz. She also worked as a producer and administrator at Turning Point USA in 2020 and 2021. Later, she held the public-affairs post linked to the Virginia Beach campaign in 2022. She also worked as a staff writer for Arizona Today. She also hosted a radio show at Woodward Broadcasting, Inc. In 2024, she was a TV anchor and producer at Rincon Broadcasting LLC and was a board member at Local First Springfield.Beni Rae Harmony September 2025 station disputeAs reported by The Daily Beast, Beni Rae Harmony's path to the briefing room also runs through a local-news dispute in September 2025. She was then an anchor and producer at WICS-ABC20 in Springfield, Illinois. After Kirk was assassinated, she aired an on-air tribute. She has said the station suspended her for that segment.According to The Independent, she called the tribute non-partisan and then joined Real America's Voice as senior White House correspondent. The network carries Steve Bannon's weekday program, The Charlie Kirk Show, and Ted Nugent's Spirit Campfire.TMZ reported on October 2 that she was expected to begin the position the following Monday, October 5. The White House has not named a permanent replacement for the press secretary post Leavitt vacated.