Katie Zacharia has been selected as the new White House press secretary, according to several US media outlets, bringing a conservative political commentator and longtime Trump ally into one of the most visible communications roles in the American government.
Zacharia, 42, replaces Karoline Leavitt, who announced in August that she would be leaving the position to spend more time with her family and children. President Donald Trump praised Leavitt as “one of the best press secretaries in the history of the White House,” setting high expectations for her successor.
The appointment comes at a difficult time for the Trump administration, as the president faces declining approval ratings and increasingly strained relations with the news media. As press secretary, Zacharia will be responsible for communicating the administration’s positions, responding to journalists’ questions and representing the president during briefings and other public appearances.
Although she is not a household name among the wider American public, Zacharia is familiar to audiences of conservative media outlets, including Fox News and Newsmax. She has also built longstanding relationships with Trump and several of his close advisers, according to The Washington Post.
A lawyer by training, Zacharia graduated from Pepperdine University in California. Early in her career, she worked in China as a lawyer and was involved with an organisation that helped children of Chinese migrant workers, The Daily Beast reported.
She has spent much of her adult life involved in Republican politics. According to the BBC, her previous roles include serving as a legal adviser to Fix California, a conservative organisation founded by Richard Grenell, a close Trump ally.
Earlier in 2026, Zacharia briefly worked as a spokesperson for the US Department of Homeland Security. She has also served as a communications adviser to Trump Media and Technology Group, the company behind Truth Social, the social media platform used by the president.
Despite having less public visibility in Washington than some other figures in the administration, Zacharia has maintained connections within Trump’s political circle. Those relationships appear to have helped establish her position as a trusted figure around the president.
Trump announced the appointment on Friday through a post on Truth Social. He described Zacharia as a loyal supporter who had helped him during his election campaigns and expressed confidence in her ability to take on the role.
However, the selection reportedly came together quickly. CNN reported, citing a source familiar with the process, that Zacharia had not been considered for the position as recently as the previous week. The report also said the White House had ruled out several potential candidates, some of whom had previously criticised Trump.
Zacharia responded to the announcement on X, praising the president and saying she was ready to take on the challenge.
The White House press secretary serves as a key link between the president and the journalists who cover the administration. The role involves explaining government decisions, answering questions at press briefings and addressing controversies that can put the White House under intense scrutiny.
Trump has placed particular importance on the press secretary’s direct access to him, according to The Washington Post. Zacharia is expected to maintain that close working relationship as she takes over from Leavitt.
Her appointment puts a familiar figure from Trump’s political circle at the centre of the administration’s daily dealings with the press. How she handles questions about the president’s policies, decisions and public statements will shape her early months in the role.
