Conservative commentator Katie Zacharia has been tapped to be President Donald Trump’s press secretary, according to people familiar with the matter.
Zacharia replaces Karoline Leavitt, who had served as the president’s chief spokesperson during his second term until she departed at the end of August, saying that she wanted to spend more time with family.
Zacharia is currently senior communications advisor at Trump Media & Technology Group, according to her LinkedIn profile . That page also lists a brief stint as a spokesperson at the Department of Homeland Security.
The role of White House press secretary is one of the most high profile administration positions, serving as a public-facing voice of the president and interacting with reporters. Zacharia would take the role at a crucial moment with the midterms looming. The people didn’t say when she would potentially begin in the new role.
Current polling shows the president with a low approval rating, considered to be a liability for Republicans heading into the election. Historical winds during midterms are typically favorable for the party out of power, giving Democrats an advantage to take at least one chamber in the November contests.
If Democrats take control of a chamber in Congress, it would likely give way to a contentious dynamic between the White House and Democrats as Trump’s second term concludes over the next two years.
Trump has long placed an importance on the role, closely scrutinizing the performance of past press secretaries. Leavitt earned a reputation for sparring forcefully with reporters in the White House briefing room and was seen as having a close relationship with Trump, who also takes an antagonistic approach to the press.