President Donald Trump tapped Katie Zacharia, a conservative commentator and communications adviser for Trump Media and Technology Group, to serve as his next White House press secretary. Zacharia will succeed Karoline Leavitt, who left the White House in August.
Her appointment comes less than a month before the 2026 midterm elections and while Politico, MS Now, and CNN have active lawsuits against the administration over Trump’s move to ban them from White House grounds. As Zacharia prepares to lead the White House messaging through this significant moment in Trump’s second term as president, here is what to know about her background and what led her to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
Zacharia will be coming to the White House from Truth Social and its parent company, Trump Media and Technology Group, where she served as senior communications adviser. She shared her passion for the Truth Social platform and the president in a social media post in August, reposting a Truth Social video that Trump shared of her online.
“I am always honored and grateful when the leader of the free world, President Trump, truths me,” Zacharia wrote. “It doesn’t get bigger than that!”
Zacharia previously worked in the second Trump administration, serving briefly in the Department of Homeland Security as a spokeswoman with the title of deputy assistant secretary for public affairs. She occupied the role in February and March, according to her LinkedIn page.
Zacharia was close to former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and left her role shortly after Markwayne Mullin became the new head of the department, according to the New York Post.
The newly tapped press secretary is no stranger to the other side of the media landscape, as she has appeared as a conservative political commentator for outlets including Fox News, Newsmax, and CNN. She recently appeared on several Fox News shows to speak about Trump’s influence in the midterm elections and topics such as affordability. She said earlier this week on Fox Business that “the Strait of Hormuz oil levels are flowing to almost preconflict levels” and that people will feel a “sharp drop” in prices soon.
“I have never seen a president work so hard for the last decade for the Republican Party,” Zacharia told Fox News on Monday. “I just wish people understood that all of these things will translate to their pocketbooks. It’s just a matter of time.”
When Zacharia was in college, she interned at the White House under then-President George W. Bush during the 2006 midterm season, working in the Office of Political Affairs. She also interned at the Republican National Committee in 2006, according to her LinkedIn page.
KATIE ZACHARIA TAPPED TO BE TRUMP’S NEXT WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY
Zacharia received both her bachelor’s and law degrees from Pepperdine University in California.
With her ties to the Golden State, Zacharia also worked as general counsel for the election integrity group Fix California, founded by Ric Grenell, Trump’s special envoy for special missions of the United States.