President Donald Trump named Katie Zacharia as his next White House press secretary on October 9, 2026, in a post on Truth Social, according to NBC News and Al Jazeera. Zacharia currently works as a senior communications adviser at Trump Media & Technology Group, the company behind Trump's Truth Social platform, TIME reported.
In the Truth Social post, Trump said he was "confident that Katie will deliver strong results for our Country as the next White House Press Secretary," adding that she has the respect of the media, the public and his administration, according to Al Jazeera.
Zacharia responded on X that she considered the appointment a great honor and said she intended to keep highlighting the administration's achievements going forward, according to NBC News and Al Jazeera.
Who Is Katie Zacharia
Zacharia holds a law degree from Pepperdine Caruso School of Law, according to TIME. She lives in California and has four children, according to NBC News. Before her current role at Trump Media & Technology Group, she served as a spokesperson for Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem at the Department of Homeland Security, starting in February 2026, Al Jazeera reported. She has also worked as general counsel for Fix California, a conservative nonprofit, and has appeared regularly as a commentator on Fox News and Newsmax, per TIME.
Zacharia's first exposure to Washington dates to 2006, when she held intern positions at the Republican National Committee and in the White House under President George W. Bush, Al Jazeera reported.
Why the Role Was Vacant
Karoline Leavitt, who had been the youngest White House press secretary in history at age 27, stepped down at the end of August 2026, according to TIME. She cited wanting to spend time with her family after giving birth to her second child in May and taking maternity leave, TIME reported. Leavitt was later hired as an on-air contributor at Fox News, TIME reported.
TIME reported that the Trump administration had not held a formal press briefing for 36 days in the run-up to Zacharia's announcement, with Vice President JD Vance last appearing in the briefing room in early September.
What Happens Next
Neither NBC News nor Al Jazeera reported a confirmed start date for Zacharia. TIME noted that she takes on the role amid what it described as contentious relations between the administration and parts of the press corps, including legal disputes over White House access, as well as low approval ratings for Trump tied to inflation and the conflict involving Iran.
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