After months of suspense, President Donald Trump on Friday revealed who he has selected to replace former White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt.
Trump announced on his Truth Social platform that Katie Zacharia will be his next White House press secretary.
He called Zacharia a loyal supporter and said he expected her to work well with the press and his administration.
The appointment fills a vacancy created when Leavitt left the White House at the end of August. Leavitt departed after the birth of her second child and said she wanted to focus on her family.
She had been the youngest person to serve as White House press secretary.
Her departure left a highly public role open during a consequential stretch before the November midterms.
Zacharia enters that role with experience in conservative media, administration communications, and Trump’s own media company.
🚨 BREAKING: WH Press Sec. Katie Zacharia just said the Senate should’ve passed the SAVE AMERICA ACT and then maybe we wouldn’t be worried about several tight races
SHE’S RIGHT.
"The easiest solution would have been for the Senate to pass the SAVE America! If they had passed the SAVE America Act, I don’t even think we would be talking about a lot of these tight races." 🔥
"What I would have loved and what the American people deserved was to have the SAVE America Act."
"And President Trump did NOT mince words on needing to get that passed, but there’s only so much he can do at some point!"
She’s already crushing it.
The House passed SAVE America MULTIPLE TIMES. @SpeakerJohnson got it done
All it does is require proof of citizenship to register to vote. Polls find the vast majority of Americans support that, including many Democrats
So why are Democrats fighting it so hard? THEY WANT CHEATING
SAVE should be priority number one! 🇺🇸
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) October 10, 2026
She has served as a senior communications adviser for Trump Media and Technology Group, which operates Truth Social.
That connection means she arrives already familiar with the president’s direct approach to reaching supporters.
Before that, Zacharia worked as a spokesperson at the Department of Homeland Security. Zacharia served as the Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security for Public Affairs from February to April 2026.
That job put her in a communications role at an agency central to the administration’s immigration policies.
She has publicly praised Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Border Patrol, and border czar Tom Homan.
Zacharia has also appeared as a commentator on Fox News, CNN, Newsmax, and One America News.
Those television appearances gave audiences a preview of how she argues for conservative positions under questioning.
Trump said Zacharia had assisted his 2024 presidential campaign in key swing states.
She also previously worked with Trump ally Richard Grenell at Fix California, a conservative advocacy organization.
Her background includes a bachelor’s degree and a law degree from Pepperdine University, Axios reported.
That mix of legal training and television experience could shape her approach to difficult questions from reporters.
The White House press secretary serves as the administration’s public voice on presidential decisions and government policy.
Briefings can force fast answers on matters involving spending, immigration, public safety, and national security.
The office also has to explain why officials acted, what legal authority they relied upon, and what comes next.
Those answers matter because Americans should be able to scrutinize government decisions regardless of which party holds power.
For Zacharia, the test will be communicating Trump’s priorities while supplying clear facts when policies draw challenges.
The job demands credibility with the president and a working relationship with journalists who may dispute his claims.
Trump said he believes she has the respect needed to work effectively with the media.
Her selection suggests the president values a spokesperson already comfortable defending him across different platforms.
It also places a former Trump Media adviser behind the official White House podium.
That background is relevant when questions arise about separating government announcements from political messaging.
The appointment itself does not establish how Zacharia will handle those questions once briefings begin.
Leavitt became known for forceful exchanges with reporters and for defending the president’s agenda.
She recently took a new role as a Fox News contributor, scheduled to begin November 1.
Zacharia inherits the press operation at a time when election campaigns are raising the stakes of every presidential statement.
Reporters will seek answers about administration actions, while opponents and supporters will scrutinize how those answers are delivered, The New York Times reported.
The public has a separate interest in timely information that explains government choices and their consequences.
This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.
