Trump Names Katie Zacharia as New White House Press Secretary
President Donald Trump has picked his new voice at the podium. On Friday, Trump announced that conservative commentator and attorney Katie Zacharia will serve as the next White House press secretary, succeeding Karoline Leavitt, who stepped down at the end of August.
A Loyal Fighter Gets the Call
Trump revealed the pick in a Truth Social post, praising Zacharia as “a loyal and brilliant supporter, right from the beginning.” Speaking to reporters at the White House as he departed for Syracuse, New York, the president added: “She’s a great person… She’s going to be — I think — terrific.”
The high-profile job had been open for more than a month since Leavitt’s departure, and speculation had been running hot for weeks.
Who Is Katie Zacharia?
A California native and attorney, Zacharia currently serves as senior communications adviser at Trump Media & Technology Group, the company behind Truth Social. She previously worked as a spokesperson and deputy assistant secretary for public affairs at the Department of Homeland Security.
Her resume runs deep in conservative media and politics: frequent commentator appearances on Fox News, Newsmax, and CNN; an internship at the Republican National Committee; general counsel for Fix California, the conservative group founded by Trump’s special missions envoy Ric Grenell. She earned her law degree from Pepperdine University, got involved in Trump’s campaigns in key swing states. According to her biography, she spent three years in China, including time as outside counsel for the World Bank, and served as president of the Christian Legal Society. She is married, and has four children.
Leavitt Gave Her Blessing
Trump didn’t make the call alone — he phoned close allies and advisers for their take, including former press secretary Karoline Leavitt herself, seeking her counsel before offering Zacharia the job.
Leavitt, who announced her departure on August 12 and left the post on August 27 to spend more time with her young children, is set to join Fox News Channel as an on-air contributor beginning November 1.
Starting Monday
Zacharia celebrated the appointment on social media, calling it a “distinguished privilege” and writing: “Serving President Trump and the American people at this critical 250-year mark is the honor of a lifetime.”
Appearing on Fox News on Friday evening, she said she’ll start the job on Monday — and revealed how she landed it: “I got a wonderful phone call from the chief talent recruiter, the president himself, and it turns out that being a huge supporter of all of his policies actually works.” She added that the president “loved what a fighter I was for him.”
The Takeaway
After weeks of guessing games — complete with a prediction-market probe over wagers placed just before the announcement — the White House podium has its new face. A loyal MAGA fighter, a seasoned communicator, and by all accounts, Trump’s personal pick. She becomes the seventh woman in a row to hold the job — the last man in the role was Sean Spicer. The briefings are about to get interesting.
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