WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump has named conservative commentator and attorney Katie Zacharia as the new White House press secretary, filling a post that has stood empty for more than a month since Karoline Leavitt stepped down at the end of August.
Trump revealed the pick late Friday in a social media post on Truth Social, calling it his “great honor” to appoint Zacharia and praising her loyalty to his movement. Zacharia is a senior communications adviser at Trump Media & Technology Group, the company behind Truth Social, and served a brief stint earlier this year as a spokeswoman for the Department of Homeland Security.
Quick Answer: President Donald Trump has picked conservative commentator Katie Zacharia as the next White House press secretary, announcing the move late Friday, Oct. 9, on Truth Social. Zacharia replaces Karoline Leavitt, who left at the end of August. She previously worked at Trump Media & Technology Group and served a brief stint at the Department of Homeland Security.
President Donald Trump. Official White House portrait by Daniel Torok. (File photo)
Key Takeaways
- Trump named Katie Zacharia as the new White House press secretary late Friday, Oct. 9, in a Truth Social announcement.
- Zacharia replaces Karoline Leavitt, who left at the end of August to spend more time with her family after the birth of her second child in May.
- Zacharia is a conservative commentator, attorney and senior communications adviser at Trump Media & Technology Group; she previously served a brief stint as a spokeswoman for the Department of Homeland Security.
- CNN reports Trump consulted close allies, including Leavitt herself, before making the final call — and that Zacharia was not even in the running a week ago.
- She becomes the seventh woman in a row to hold the job; the last six press secretaries have been women.
- No date has been announced yet for her first briefing from the White House podium.
Katie Zacharia White House press secretary pick breaks late Friday
The announcement landed “later Friday,” as CNN put it, in a post on Truth Social. “It is my Great Honor to have just appointed, as Press Secretary, Katie Zacharia,” Trump wrote, adding that she has “a loyal and brilliant” record of support “right from the beginning.”
Trump praised Zacharia as “a devoted fan and member of MAGA!” and said he was confident she would “deliver strong results for our Country.” He also predicted she would “work fantastically with, the Media, the American People, and my Administration” — a notable line given the tense relationship he has kept with much of the press.
The role has been vacant for more than a month, leaving the briefing room without a permanent chief spokesperson through a stretch of major headlines. That gap is now closed, and Zacharia will take over one of the most visible jobs in Washington.
Who is Katie Zacharia? Background of Trump’s press secretary pick
So who is Katie Zacharia, the woman Trump just named press secretary? A California native, Zacharia built her career at the intersection of law, conservative politics and cable news. She is an attorney and serves as a senior communications adviser at Trump Media & Technology Group, the parent company of Truth Social.
Earlier this year she held a brief stint as a senior official and spokeswoman at the Department of Homeland Security. The Fox News commentator biography of Katie Zacharia will be familiar to cable viewers: she has appeared as a commentator on Newsmax, Fox News and CNN, giving her unusual on-camera experience across the political media spectrum.
Her political résumé runs deep. Zacharia interned at the Republican National Committee, served as general counsel for Fix California — a conservative group founded by Trump’s special envoy Ric Grenell — and worked in the White House Office of Political Affairs. She attended Pepperdine University’s Caruso School of Law and Seaver College in the Los Angeles area.
Trump noted she was involved in his campaigns in key swing states, writing that she was “assisting in key Swing States, where we won 7 out of 7.” Zacharia is married with four children, spent three years in China — including work as outside counsel for the World Bank — and previously led the Christian Legal Society.
Trump names new press secretary Zacharia after weeks of dead ends
The way Trump names new press secretary Zacharia followed a search that was bumpier than it looked from the outside. CNN reported, citing people familiar with the process, that Trump in recent days called a number of close allies and advisers to get their read on Zacharia — including former press secretary Karoline Leavitt, whose counsel he sought before making the final decision.
Zacharia was in the Oval Office with Trump earlier Friday morning, according to a person familiar with the matter. Yet her selection came together remarkably fast: as of last week, she was not even being considered for the role.
Behind the scenes, the White House had struggled with bigger names. On several occasions, senior officials narrowed the list, only to find that candidates had previously said something negative about the president — a deal-breaker that knocked them out, according to a White House official. As the Karoline Leavitt replacement press secretary, Zacharia faced no such problem: Trump’s post made clear he views her as loyal from day one.
Karoline Leavitt’s exit left the podium empty for weeks
Leavitt announced she was stepping down at the end of August to spend more time with her family following the birth of her second child in May. Trump called her “one of my most trusted aides,” and she became one of the most prominent faces of his administration during her tenure.
Karoline Leavitt, who left the press secretary post at the end of August. Official portrait by the White House Office of the Press Secretary. (File photo)
Her departure opened a gap that lasted more than a month — an unusually long vacancy for a job that puts a face on the administration every day. White House officials had been working through candidates in the meantime, but as CNN’s reporting shows, several front-runners tripped over their own past criticism of Trump.
Why it matters
The press secretary is one of the most visible roles in any administration, and this one comes with extra weight. Zacharia will handle the media for a president who routinely complains about press coverage and cares deeply about his public image — a dynamic that has made the briefing room a stage for some of the administration’s sharpest confrontations.
Her appointment also continues a notable streak: Zacharia is the seventh woman in a row to hold the job. The last six press secretaries have been women, and the last man in the role was Sean Spicer, who served six months at the start of Trump’s first term.
The James S. Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House, where the new press secretary will face the media. Photo by Eric Draper via the White House. (File photo)
For Trump, the pick sends a clear signal about what he wants from the podium: loyalty first, and a spokesperson drawn from his own media orbit rather than an outside star. Zacharia’s background — Truth Social, conservative cable, and a short tour at Homeland Security — suggests the briefing room will stay firmly inside the president’s world.
What happens next
Taking the podium as the new White House press secretary in October 2026, Zacharia’s first task will be to set the tone with the press corps — and all eyes will be on her first briefing, for which no date has been announced. Her early appearances will be watched closely for signs of how combative or conciliatory the briefing room will be under her watch.
The appointment caps a busy stretch for the administration, which has also set up a committee to investigate former Fed official Lisa Cook, moved on a Russia diesel deal with Putin, and auto-enrolled 70 million kids in Trump Accounts. Zacharia will now be the person explaining those moves to the public, day after day.
If her selection is any guide, expect a press secretary who treats the briefing room as an extension of the president’s own messaging — and a White House that, at least for now, has ended its search exactly where it started: inside the family.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Katie Zacharia?
Katie Zacharia is a conservative commentator, attorney and senior communications adviser at Trump Media & Technology Group, the company behind Truth Social. A California native, she previously served a brief stint as a spokeswoman at the Department of Homeland Security and has appeared on Newsmax, Fox News and CNN.
How did Trump announce the appointment?
Trump announced the appointment late Friday, Oct. 9, in a post on Truth Social. He called it his “great honor” to appoint Zacharia, praised her as a loyal supporter from the start, and said he was confident she would deliver strong results for the country as press secretary.
Who did Katie Zacharia replace as press secretary?
Zacharia replaces Karoline Leavitt, who stepped down at the end of August after serving as one of the most visible figures of the administration. Leavitt left to spend more time with her family following the birth of her second child in May.
What did Zacharia do before this job?
She served as a senior communications adviser at Trump Media & Technology Group and briefly as a spokeswoman at the Department of Homeland Security. She also interned at the Republican National Committee, worked as general counsel for Fix California, and appeared regularly as a conservative commentator on cable news.
Why did Karoline Leavitt leave the White House?
Leavitt left at the end of August to spend more time with her family after the birth of her second child in May. Trump described her as “one of my most trusted aides” and she remained a prominent public face of the administration until her departure.
Is Katie Zacharia the first woman to serve as White House press secretary?
No. Zacharia is the seventh woman in a row to hold the job, following a streak in which the last six press secretaries have all been women. The last man to serve as White House press secretary was Sean Spicer, who held the role for six months at the start of Trump’s first term.
When will Katie Zacharia give her first briefing?
No date has been announced yet for her first briefing from the White House podium. The post had been vacant for more than a month since Leavitt’s departure, so her first appearance will be closely watched by the press corps and the public.
By GlobalDeskNews Staff
Sources
- CNN — “Trump selects Katie Zacharia as next White House press secretary” (Oct. 9, 2026)
- USA Today — “Trump offers Katie Zacharia job as new White House press secretary” (Oct. 9, 2026)
- New York Post — “Trump confirms Katie Zacharia will replace Karoline Leavitt as White House press secretary” (Oct. 9, 2026)
- President Donald J. Trump, Truth Social post, Oct. 9, 2026 — via Truth Social