New White House Press Secretary Announced
The White House is preparing to fill the long vacant position of permanent press secretary this Tuesday. Katie Zacharia will officially take the podium, stepping in after Karoline Leavitt’s departure, which came amid a reshuffling in President Donald Trump’s communications team.
Trump shared the news on his Truth Social platform, saying, “I am pleased to announce that Katie Zacharia will be beginning her term as Press Secretary tomorrow, Columbus Day, and will be doing an introductory News Conference on Tuesday at 9:30 A.M. from the Press Briefing Room in the White House. Katie has been with me, in spirit, from the very beginning, and will do a fantastic job!”
Zacharia, who is both an attorney and television commentator, previously worked as a senior communications adviser for Trump Media & Technology Group, which runs the president’s social media platform, Truth Social. This new role follows Leavitt’s exit from the White House back in August.
Trump’s first term saw four individuals occupy the press secretary role: Sean Spicer, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, Stephanie Grisham, and Kayleigh McEnany.
Zacharia had been the deputy assistant secretary for public affairs and served as a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security before her new appointment. She made her debut appearance on “Fox & Friends Weekend” recently, discussing Trump’s newly forged agreement with Russia to supply over 1.8 million tons of diesel fuel aimed at reducing fuel and grocery prices. She stated, “President Trump has heard people have been frustrated with the gas prices. People are frustrated with the increasing grocery prices. And he is delivering what he always does, which are solutions.”
In her own reflection on this new chapter, she expressed gratitude on X, calling it a “distinguished privilege” to serve as White House press secretary. She noted, “Serving President Trump and the American people at this critical 250-year mark is the honor of a lifetime. President Trump has shown America that we can be great again, and he works to effectuate that greatness every single day.” She emphasized her commitment to communicating the administration’s successes and interacting with the press corps.
Zacharia acknowledged the high expectations she faces succeeding Leavitt, who was the first press secretary of Trump’s second term for 19 months before her departure on August 27. Since then, the White House has had limited press briefings led by various senior officials, including Vice President JD Vance and Attorney General Todd Blanche, filling in during Leavitt’s maternity leave this past summer.
Former press secretary Sean Spicer noted that Zacharia is well-trusted within the MAGA movement and is poised to foster a good relationship with the press, contrasting her approach with that of past press secretaries. “Anyone who has not met her yet will quickly see that she is a genuinely kind person who will work well with the press corps,” he mentioned, humorously referencing his own past as a press secretary.
