Zacharia Says TV Appearances Helped Her Seek Press Secretary Role

Katie Zacharia said she sought the White House press secretary job by appearing on television to discuss issues she believed mattered to President Donald Trump, describing those appearances as an audition rather than direct lobbying. Her account came days after she took the podium for her first White House briefing, which lasted 14 minutes and drew criticism over her delivery and the limited number of questions taken. In an interview, Zacharia said that when journalists asked whether she wanted to put her name forward after Karoline Leavitt left the role, she initially declined and said she was not lobbying for the position. She later decided that television appearances could help Trump notice her work. “I wanted to work for it. I wanted audition for it,” she said. Zacharia said she tracked Trump’s priorities, including topics he promoted on Truth Social, and arranged television appearances to discuss them. She had been a senior communications adviser for Trump Media and Technology Group, and said she wanted to provide context for Trump’s approach to China and his relationship with Chinese President Xi Jinping. The interview did not independently establish how Trump made the...