On Sunday, a White House announcement indicated that Katie Zacharia had been named press secretary and would take up the post the following day — Columbus Day — with an introductory briefing from the Press Briefing Room scheduled for Tuesday morning at 9:30 a.m., as stated in a written post attributed to Trump.
Trump noted that Zacharia had been with him in spirit from the outset and would handle the role well — a statement that arrived two days after he formally named her as Karoline Leavitt's replacement, Leavitt having departed the White House press secretary post at the end of August.
On Friday, Trump announced Katie Zacharia's appointment as Press Secretary, citing her career background, her work on his past campaigns, and her long association with his political movement.
Katie holds the position of Senior Communications Advisor at Truth Social, the platform operated by Trump Media & Technology Group. Born and raised in California, she had earlier held the posts of Spokesperson and Deputy Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs within the Department of Homeland Security.
Holding law degrees from both Pepperdine University and its Caruso School of Law, Katie has built a practice as a licensed attorney while contributing legal commentary to audiences across multiple broadcast outlets, among them a well-known news channel and another with a broad national reach.
Her prior role encompassed work across a number of contested states during those electoral campaigns, with the outcome reaching seven victories from seven contests. Her involvement with the political movement dates to its earliest days, and reports indicate that she holds membership in MAGA and has expressed support for it.
Katie's nomination as the next White House Press Secretary was announced with an expression of confidence that she would produce favorable outcomes, build productive relationships with the press and the public, and work effectively alongside the incoming administration.
Karoline Leavitt's tenure as Press Secretary drew to a close with Katie set to take over the position. Before Zacharia joined the communications team at Truth Social — the social media platform run by Trump Media & Technology Group — she held a senior advisory role there. Born and raised in California, she earned both her undergraduate degree and her law degree from Pepperdine, completing the latter at its Caruso School of Law.
Television work as a political commentator has taken her across a number of broadcast outlets. Before joining the Department of Homeland Security, Zacharia held two distinct positions there — one as a spokesperson, another as deputy assistant secretary for public affairs — before her tenure concluded in March. Her work on Trump's electoral efforts extended to canvassing and organising in battleground states across the country.
When Leavitt's departure was announced by Trump around mid-August, a vacancy arose that Zacharia subsequently moved into. Trump characterised Leavitt as among the aides he trusted most, stating that her departure at the end of the month was driven by a wish to devote more time to her children and family — a decision he said he understood and respected. Leavitt is set to take up an on-air contributor position at a major news channel from 1 November.
