Who Is Katie Zacharia, Trump's New White House Press Secretary?
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Katie Zacharia is set to hold her first White House press briefing on Tuesday, filling a job that has had no permanent occupant since late summer. President Donald Trump announced on Truth Social that she would start on Monday and hold an introductory news conference at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday, according to Fox News.
She takes over as Trump's chief spokesperson at a difficult time, NPR reported: his popularity has dropped to record lows, Republicans are trying to limit midterm losses, and the administration is in a dispute with the reporters who cover it.
Who is Katie Zacharia?
Zacharia, 41, is an attorney and mother of four who graduated from Pepperdine Caruso School of Law, according to NPR, which cited her online resume. She has worked for several conservative organizations and served on the advisory board of an anti-abortion group.
Fox News reported that she previously was a deputy assistant secretary for public affairs and a spokesperson at the Department of Homeland Security. More recently she was a senior communications adviser to Trump Media & Technology Group, which operates Truth Social. She has also appeared often as a pro-Trump commentator on Fox News and Newsmax, NPR said.
Why did the job open up?
Karoline Leavitt served as press secretary for 19 months in Trump's second term and left the role on Aug. 27, Fox News reported. Since then, the White House has held a limited number of briefings and news conferences led by senior officials, including Vice President JD Vance and Attorney General Todd Blanche. Fox said a rotating group of officials also handled briefings while Leavitt was on maternity leave over the summer.
What has Zacharia said since being named?
In a Friday post on X, she called the job the "honor of a lifetime" and praised Trump's leadership. She also said she looked forward to working with the White House press corps and reporters nationwide, according to Fox News.
On "Fox & Friends Weekend" on Saturday, she promoted a newly announced deal with Russia to supply more than 1.8 million tons of diesel fuel to U.S. and global markets, which the White House presents as a way to lower fuel and grocery costs. NPR described the plan as controversial and said it has drawn bipartisan criticism.
NPR also reported that she credited Trump with strong results ahead of the November election while saying she would have liked to see more from congressional Republicans.
What criticism has surfaced?
NPR reported that Zacharia has used social media to amplify right-wing conspiracy theories, including claims that Democratic leaders were involved in pedophile rings. The posts, which date to 2022, were first uncovered by the progressive outlet Popular Information, according to NPR. NPR said it asked the White House about them and received an email praising Zacharia that did not address the posts.
NPR also noted her comments in August on Real America's Voice about the Lindsay Clancy murder trial, which ended in a mistrial. She argued that the public's view of the case had been skewed by feminism and tied it to abortion.
Supporters have been vocal as well. Trump called her a loyal supporter from the start and a "devoted fan and member of MAGA." FBI Director Kash Patel and Leavitt praised her, and former press secretary Sean Spicer told Fox News Digital she has the president's trust and would work well with the press corps.
What is the backdrop with the press corps?
NPR reported that last month the White House restricted access for CNN, MS NOW and Politico, outlets Trump views as unfriendly. The Justice Department has since opened an investigation into the five television networks that share pool video coverage of the president, NPR said.
Why does it matter?
The press secretary is the main daily channel through which the administration answers questions from reporters, and the briefing room has been mostly without one for weeks. Her first appearance will show how she handles questions on topics including fuel and grocery prices, the Russian diesel plan and the midterms, and how she approaches the access disputes involving news organizations.
Fox noted that Trump had four press secretaries in his first term: Sean Spicer, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, Stephanie Grisham and Kayleigh McEnany.
