President Donald Trump said he has appointed conservative commentator and Truth Social communications advisor Katie Zacharia as his new press secretary.
“She has an unblemished record of support, and has been a loyal and brilliant supporter, right from the beginning. She is, likewise, a devoted fan and member of MAGA!” Trump posted on social media Friday. “I am confident that Katie will deliver strong results for our Country as the next White House Press Secretary, as she has the respect of, and will work fantastically with, the Media, the American People, and my Administration.”
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.
In his announcement, the president also cited Zacharia’s stint as a spokesperson at the Department of Homeland Security and her role as a commentator on Fox News and Newsmax.
“Serving President Trump and the American people at this critical 250-year mark is the honor of a lifetime,” Zacharia said in a post on X .
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 midterm elections looming.
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.