Donald Trump appoints Katie Zacharia as White House press secretary

President Donald Trump has named conservative commentator Katie Zacharia as the new White House press secretary to succeed Karoline Leavitt.

President Trump announced the appointment Friday on Truth Social, praising Zacharia as a loyal supporter with an "unblemished record." Zacharia currently works as a senior communications adviser for Trump Media & Technology Group and briefly served as a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security earlier this year. The BBC reported that Trump also credited her with assisting in key swing states where his campaign won seven out of seven.

Zacharia responded to the announcement by calling the role the "honor of a lifetime" and stating she looks forward to communicating the administration's wins to the American people. The 42-year-old political strategist has been a frequent commentator on Newsmax and Fox News. According to her LinkedIn profile, her career in Republican politics includes internships at the Republican National Committee and the White House during the George W. Bush administration in 2006.

The press secretary position has been vacant since late August. While Al Jazeera reported that Leavitt resigned to spend more time with her family, The Guardian noted her departure followed the birth of her second child. Leavitt has since been hired as an on-air contributor for Fox News, according to reports from the BBC and NBC News. CBS News noted that the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room has not hosted a briefing since September 3.

The appointment comes as the administration faces legal challenges over media access. Al Jazeera reported that a federal judge recently extended a block on a presidential order that barred CNN, MS NOW, and Politico from the White House. The New York Times was the first to report that Zacharia had been selected for the role, according to CBS News and The Guardian.

Background

Zacharia previously served as general counsel for Fix California and authored a New York Post op-ed regarding a dispute over wearing a MAGA hat at a gym. She earned her undergraduate and law degrees from Pepperdine University.