Politics April 24, 2026 10:09 AM

Tommy Pigott Named State Department Spokesperson

Department names former principal deputy to lead public briefings under Secretary Marco Rubio

By Caleb Monroe
Tommy Pigott Named State Department Spokesperson

The U.S. State Department announced on April 24 that Tommy Pigott has been appointed as its new spokesperson. Pigott, who joined the department and the Trump administration in January 2025, had been serving as principal deputy spokesperson. The post became vacant after Tammy Bruce was appointed U.S. deputy representative to the United Nations. The department noted Pigott's nearly decade-long communications background and prior work on President Trump's 2024 campaign and at the Republican National Committee.

Key Points

  • Tommy Pigott appointed U.S. State Department spokesperson; announcement made on April 24.
  • Pigott joined the State Department and the Trump administration in January 2025 and previously served as principal deputy spokesperson.
  • The spokesperson role was vacant after Tammy Bruce was appointed U.S. deputy representative to the United Nations.
  • The department says Pigott has almost a decade of communications experience and worked on Trump’s 2024 campaign and at the Republican National Committee.

April 24 - The U.S. State Department said on Friday that Tommy Pigott will take on the role of department spokesperson.

Pigott entered the State Department and the Trump administration in January 2025, coinciding with the start of President Trump’s second term, and has been serving as the principal deputy spokesperson. The top spokesperson slot had been unfilled since President Trump named Tammy Bruce as the U.S. deputy representative to the United Nations.

In a departmental statement, officials said: "As spokesperson, Pigott will speak directly to audiences in the United States and around the world on how, under the leadership of Secretary Marco Rubio, the State Department is advancing President Trump’s foreign policy."

The statement also outlined Pigott’s professional background. The department said he brings almost a decade of experience in communications, and that his résumé includes work on President Trump’s 2024 election campaign as well as roles at the Republican National Committee.

The announcement follows the internal transition that left the spokesman position open when Tammy Bruce moved to the United Nations post. Pigott’s elevation from principal deputy to the top communications job formalizes his responsibilities leading public messaging for the department.

Beyond the appointment itself, the department’s public notice stressed the spokesmanship’s dual audience remit: domestic and international. The statement framed Pigott’s new duties in the context of advancing the administration’s foreign policy under Secretary Marco Rubio’s leadership.

No additional operational details about the transition were included in the department notice.


Summary

The State Department has named Tommy Pigott as its spokesperson. Pigott joined the department and the Trump administration in January 2025, had been principal deputy spokesperson, and succeeds an office that became vacant after Tammy Bruce was appointed U.S. deputy representative to the United Nations. The department highlighted his nearly ten years in communications and previous work on the 2024 campaign and at the Republican National Committee.

Risks

  • The department’s announcement provides limited operational detail about the transition and Pigott’s immediate plans in the role, leaving timing and specific public engagement strategies unclear.
  • The statement does not outline how Pigott’s communications approach will be implemented across different audiences, so there is uncertainty about messaging consistency for domestic and international stakeholders.

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