Trump Names Truth Social Aide Katie Zacharia His Next White House Press Secretary
The post has sat empty since Karoline Leavitt left in late August, and the briefing room hasn't hosted a press briefing since Sept. 3.
President Trump on Friday announced that conservative commentator Katie Zacharia will be the next White House press secretary, praising her "unblemished record of support."
Zacharia, a California native, briefly worked as a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security earlier this year and currently serves as a senior communications adviser for Truth Social, the president's social media site. Trump said she also assisted him on the campaign trail. The New York Times was first to report that she had been offered the role.
"She has an unblemished record of support, and has been a loyal and brilliant supporter, right from the beginning," Trump wrote on Truth Social. "She is, likewise, a devoted fan and member of MAGA! I am confident that Katie will deliver strong results for our Country as the next White House Press Secretary, as she has the respect of, and will work fantastically with, the Media, the American People, and my Administration." He wished her luck.
The job has been vacant since Karoline Leavitt left in late August. The James S. Brady Press Briefing Room hasn't hosted a briefing since Sept. 3, when Vice President JD Vance addressed reporters and took questions. That gap leaves Zacharia taking over a podium that has been dark for more than a month, with the midterm elections less than four weeks away.
Zacharia completed her undergraduate and law degrees at Pepperdine University in Malibu, according to her LinkedIn profile, and she lives in California. She has little record in the traditional Washington press corps. Her public profile has come largely from commentary.
Earlier this year, she wrote an op-ed for the New York Post about wearing a "Make America Great Again" hat to her local gym. She said the gym's owner ultimately asked her to stop wearing it. "I responded that I would never take my Trump hat off to appease the left," she wrote. "This is raw, unfiltered intolerance. Freedom of speech doesn't evaporate at the gym door."
"The First Amendment has no 'discomfort' clause," she added. The First Amendment protects against government censorship of speech, not restrictions imposed by private businesses.
The announcement does not say when Zacharia will start or when regular briefings will resume. The White House press secretary is the administration's main public voice, fielding daily questions from reporters on policy, personnel and the president's statements.
The pick also comes as the administration is in a fight with several news organizations over access to the White House. Zacharia will inherit that dispute along with the empty podium.
