President Donald Trump has appointed Katie Zacharia, a senior communications adviser for the Trump Media & Technology Group, as his new White House press secretary. The announcement was made Friday by Trump on X, formerly Twitter, and confirmed by White House officials to Fox News Digital.
Zacharia, an attorney and frequent television commentator, currently works for the company that operates Trump's social media platform, Truth Social. She will succeed Karoline Leavitt, who has departed the role. Trump praised Zacharia in his announcement, stating, "It is my Great Honor to have just appointed, as Press Secretary, Katie Zacharia. Katie currently serves as Senior Communications Advisor to Truth Social (Trump Media & Technology Group), where she has been outstanding!"
Zacharia expressed her honor in a post on X, calling the role a "distinguished privilege" and stating her focus will be on communicating the administration's accomplishments to the public. "Serving President Trump and the American people at this critical 250-year mark is the honor of a lifetime," she wrote. "President Trump has shown America that we can be great again, and he works to effectuate that greatness every single day. His confidence is a true privilege, and his leadership is a blessing to this country."
She added, "The work ahead is to continue delivering strong results for our Country and communicating to the American people the major wins that this Administration is making every single day. I look forward to working with the White House press corps, and with reporters across the country, to get that record out."
Zacharia previously served briefly as a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security. Trump highlighted her qualifications, noting her graduation from Pepperdine University and its law school, her work as an attorney, and her commentary on news outlets. He also referenced her involvement in his past campaigns, stating she "has an unblemished record of support, and has been a loyal and brilliant supporter, right from the beginning." Trump further characterized her as a "devoted fan and member of MAGA!"
Previous press secretaries Karoline Leavitt and Tricia McLaughlin have both moved on from their roles. Since Leavitt's departure, the White House has held limited formal press briefings, with Vice President JD Vance and Attorney General Todd Blanche leading two such sessions. During Leavitt's maternity leave over the summer, the administration utilized a rotation of officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Vice President JD Vance, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, and CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz, to conduct press briefings.
Other individuals previously considered for the press secretary position included Alina Habba, Scott Jennings, Anna Kelly, Stephen Miller, Katie Miller, Steven Cheung, and Matthew Boyle.