Donald Trump selects Katie Zacharia as White House press secretary

United States President Donald Trump announced on Friday that he has chosen conservative commentator Katie Zacharia to serve as the new White House press secretary. BBC News, Al Jazeera, the South China Morning Post, The New York Times, Bloomberg, Politico, Time, and The Independent all reported the appointment. Trump confirmed the selection in a post on his Truth Social account. [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8]

The position of press secretary had been vacant since former White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt left the post in August. Al Jazeera and the South China Morning Post noted that the role remained open following her departure. BBC News reported that Leavitt has taken a new job. [1][2][3]

Zacharia currently works as a communications adviser at Trump Media and Technology Group, which operates the Truth Social platform. BBC News and the South China Morning Post reported her current position. BBC News added that Zacharia previously served a brief term as a spokeswoman at the Department of Homeland Security. [1][3]

In his social media post, Trump called the California native loyal and described her as a devoted fan and member of Make America Great Again. Al Jazeera and BBC News reported his comments. Trump added that he is confident she will work well with the media, the public, and his administration. [1][2]

Zacharia will become the chief spokesperson for Trump across his two presidential administrations. Zacharia previously served as the assistant secretary of homeland security for public affairs from February to April 2026. [1][9]