Katie Zacharia is set to make her debut at the White House briefing room podium, ending a weeks-long stretch without a permanent press secretary and stepping into one of the most visible roles in President Donald Trump's communications operation. Her first briefing is scheduled for Tuesday at 9:30 a.m. from the White House press briefing room.
Trump announced the appointment on Truth Social, writing that Zacharia «has been with me, in spirit, from the very beginning» and predicting she «will do a fantastic job.» The president described her as an attorney and television commentator who served as a senior communications adviser to Trump Media & Technology Group, the company that operates Truth Social.
Zacharia succeeds Karoline Leavitt, who served as the first press secretary of Trump's second administration for 19 months before leaving the role on Aug. 27. Leavitt's departure created a vacancy that the White House filled with a rotating lineup of senior administration officials, including Vice President JD Vance and Attorney General Todd Blanche, who led briefings and news conferences in the interim.
Before joining the White House communications team, Zacharia served as deputy assistant secretary for public affairs and a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security. Her background in both law and television commentary, along with her work at Trump Media, places her among a group of appointees who have moved between the president's business and political operations.
In her first public appearance in the new role, Zacharia appeared on «Fox & Friends Weekend» on Saturday, where she promoted Trump's newly announced deal with Russia to supply more than 1.8 million tons of diesel fuel to U.S. and global markets. She said the agreement is intended to lower fuel and grocery costs, framing it as a response to public frustration.
«President Trump has heard people have been frustrated with the gas prices. People are frustrated with the increasing grocery prices. And he is delivering what he always does, which are solutions,» Zacharia said.
She also celebrated the appointment in a post on X, thanking Trump for what she called the «distinguished privilege» of serving as White House press secretary. «Serving President Trump and the American people at this critical 250-year mark is the honor of a lifetime,» she wrote, adding that «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.»
Zacharia acknowledged the expectations that come with succeeding Leavitt, who became a prominent figure in the administration's communications strategy. «Following the fabulous Karoline Leavitt is a high standard, and one worth meeting,» she wrote. She added that she looks forward to working with the White House press corps and reporters across the country.
Former Trump press secretary Sean Spicer told Fox News Digital that Zacharia has been an effective champion of the MAGA movement and America First policies, and that she clearly has the trust of the president. «Anyone who has not met her yet will quickly see that she is a genuinely kind person who will work well with the press corps,» Spicer said, joking that she would not come across as «an angry leprechaun at times,» a self-deprecating reference to his own tenure.
Zacharia's appointment comes as the White House briefing room enters a new phase, with the administration relying on a mix of senior officials and now a permanent press secretary to communicate its agenda. During Trump's first administration, the president had four press secretaries: Sean Spicer, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, Stephanie Grisham and Kayleigh McEnany. The turnover in that role has historically been high, and Zacharia's performance in the briefing room will be closely watched as she seeks to establish her own rapport with the press corps.