Trump Appoints Katie Zacharia as Press Secretary

Donald Trump appointed Katie Zacharia as White House press secretary, and she began the role on October 12. Her first press briefing was scheduled for October 13 at 9:30 a.m. Eastern time, though the available reporting does not establish whether it took place. Trump announced the appointment in a Truth Social post, praising Zacharia as a loyal and brilliant supporter. Zacharia thanked him publicly for the opportunity, describing the position as an honor and saying she looked forward to working with the White House press corps and reporters across the country. Zacharia succeeds Karoline Leavitt, who left the post in late August, according to one account. The White House had held briefings with various administration officials in the interim. Zacharia is a lawyer and political commentator who has appeared on television news programs. She previously served as a spokeswoman at the Department of Homeland Security and as a communications adviser to Trump Media and Technology Group, according to published biographical information. Her first scheduled briefing marks her initial planned appearance at the podium as the administration’s chief spokesperson.