USAupdated 1h ago2 min read
Trump Selects Conservative Commentator Katie Zacharia As Next White House Press Secretary
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Trump named Katie Zacharia as White House press secretary, replacing Karoline Leavitt. Zacharia previously served as DHS spokesperson earlier in 2026.
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Zacharia named press secretary
President Donald Trump selected conservative commentator Katie Zacharia as the next White House press secretary, a White House official said on Friday. Trump highlighted Zacharia’s work for Truth Social and Trump Media & Technology Group and called her “a devoted fan and member of MAGA” in a social media post on Friday. Zacharia thanked Trump in a post on X, writing, “Serving President Trump and the American people at this critical 250-year mark is the honor of a lifetime.”
Zacharia’s selection came as the White House press secretary role remained vacant since August, when Karoline Leavitt resigned to spend more time with her family. Trump called close allies and advisers, including Leavitt, to seek their opinion of Zacharia before offering her the position.
Background and prior roles
Zacharia previously served as a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security between February and April 2026, according to a White House official cited by ABC. Zacharia’s LinkedIn profile described her as a senior communications adviser to Trump Media and Technology Group, which operates the president’s social media platform Truth Social, and it also listed prior commentary work for Newsmax and Fox News. Zacharia was described by BBC as a frequent fixture on conservative Newsmax and Fox News and as having worked as an intern for the Republican National Committee and for the White House Office of Political Affairs during the Bush administration in 2006.
Zacharia briefly worked for the Department of Homeland Security as a spokesperson earlier this year and currently works as a senior communications adviser for Truth Social, according to CBS News. ABC reported that Zacharia lives in California and that Trump sought input from allies and advisers, including Leavitt, before deciding to offer the position to Zacharia.
Leavitt’s exit and media access
Leavitt left the White House press secretary role in August, and ABC said the position had been open since Karoline Leavitt left in August. The White House struggled with higher-profile names during the search to replace Leavitt, and senior officials narrowed down candidates after some had previously criticized Trump, according to CNN. Trump launched an unprecedented effort to restrict US media outlets’ access to his administration and the White House, and a US federal judge temporarily extended a block on Trump’s order barring CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House, according to Al Jazeera.
Trump’s social media posts framed Zacharia’s appointment as a continuation of “delivering strong results for our Country” and communicating “the major wins that this Administration is making every single day,” according to Zacharia’s statement on X. Trump called Leavitt one of his “most trusted aides” when she left the role, setting a high bar for Zacharia’s replacement, according to BBC.