President Donald Trump announced that he’s picked Katie Zacharia, a conservative commentator who has regularly appeared on Fox News, CNN and Newsmax, to be the new White House press secretary.
She takes over the role from Karoline Leavitt, who is joining Fox News as a contributor.
Zacharia currently serves as a senior communications adviser to Trump Media & Technology Group, which operates the Truth Social network. The California native previously served as a spokesperson and deputy assistant secretary for public affairs at the Department of Homeland Security for two months under then-Secretary Kristi Noem. Zacharia also has served as general counsel to Fix California, a conservative political advocacy group founded by Trump ally Ric Grenell (who served as director of the Kennedy Center from February 2025 to March 2026).
Zacharia takes over the White House press secretary job as Trump — who is famously combative with the mainstream media — is the target of a lawsuit filed by CNN, MS NOW and Politico filed against Trump and three administration officials seeking to have the president’s ban of the news outlets lifted. On Thursday, the judge hearing the case extended the temporary restraining order granted to the plaintiffs — requiring the White House to restore the access — through Oct. 13 as he considers the news orgs’ request for a permanent injunction. Trump announced Sept. 18 that he was banning CNN, MS NOW and Politico “effective immediately” from the White House because, as he has claimed hundreds of times before about media outlets he doesn’t like, they are “fake news.”
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Trump announced Zacharia’s appointment Friday in a Truth Social post, noting that she is “a frequent Commentator on outlets, including Fox News and Newsmax.”
Zacharia was “previously involved in my Campaigns, assisting in key Swing States, where we won 7 out of 7. She has an unblemished record of support, and has been a loyal and brilliant supporter, right from the beginning,” Trump wrote. “She is, likewise, a devoted fan and member of MAGA! 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 graduated from Pepperdine University in 2007 with a bachelor’s degree in political science and government and later received a JD from Pepperdine Caruso School of Law, according to her LinkedIn bio.