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Thomas "Tommy" Pigott is an American political communications official who currently serves as the Spokesperson for the United States Department of State. He was appointed to the position in April 2026 after previously serving as Principal Deputy Spokesperson. In that role, he represents the State Department in media briefings and communicates official United States foreign policy positions. Before joining the State Department, Pigott worked in Republican political communications, including roles connected to Donald Trump's 2024 presidential campaign and the Republican National Committee. He became more publicly visible through regular press briefings and media appearances during the second Trump administration.
Tommy Pigott | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Spokesperson for the United States Department of State | |
| Assumed office May 11, 2026 (acting August 12, 2025–May 11, 2026) | |
| President | Donald Trump |
| Deputy | Vacent |
| Preceded by | Tammy Bruce |
| Principal Deputy Spokesperson for the United States Department of State | |
| In office January 20, 2025 – April 24, 2026 | |
| President | Donald Trump |
| Preceded by | Vedant Patel |
| Succeeded by | Vacent |
| Personal details | |
| Walsh School of Foreign Service (BD) George Washington University School of Media and Public Affairs (MD) | |
Early life
editPublicly available information about Tommy Pigott's early life is limited. Though we do know that he earned a bachelor's degree from the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service and later completed a master's degree at the George Washington University School of Media and Public Affairs. Before entering government service, he worked in political communications roles connected to Republican Party organizations and campaign operations.[1]
Political career
editTommy Pigott began his political career in Republican communications and campaign operations, working in media strategy, press relations, and rapid-response communications. He held positions connected to the Republican National Committee and became involved in national Republican political campaigns during the 2020s. His work focused primarily on political messaging, media coordination, and communications strategy for Republican candidates and party organizations.
Pigott later joined the political operation of Donald Trump during Trump's 2024 presidential campaign. During the campaign he worked on communications and public messaging efforts as Donald Trump sought a return to office. Following Trump's victory in the 2024 United States presidential election, Pigott entered government service in the second Trump administration.
In January 2025, Pigott was appointed Principal Deputy Spokesperson for the United States Department of State. In this role he frequently conducted press briefings and represented the department in communications with journalists and the public, particularly on issues relating to United States foreign policy and diplomatic affairs. He became increasingly visible as a public representative of the department through regular appearances in official briefings and media coverage.
Beginning on the August 12, 2025, Tommy Pigott increasingly served as the de facto public face of the United States Department of State following the nomination of then-spokesperson Tammy Bruce to become United States Deputy Representative to the United Nations. Despite effectively acting in the role, Pigott was not formally designated Acting Spokesperson, he continued to hold the title of Principal Deputy Spokesperson until April 24, 2026, when Secretary of State Marco Rubio officially appointed him as Spokesperson for the State Department.
On April 24, 2026, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced Pigott as the next spokesperson of the State Department. On May 11 Pigott officially assumed the office of spokesperson. As spokesman, he serves as one of the principal public representatives of United States foreign policy and is responsible for communicating the positions and policies of the department during the second Trump administration.
References
edit- ↑ Tommy Pigott's early life is not well documented and very little is known about his early or personal life