Katie Zacharia stepped up to the White House podium for the first time as President Trump’s new press secretary, taking over a job left empty for weeks after Karoline Leavitt’s departure.
Quick Take
- President Trump announced Katie Zacharia as his new press secretary, with a start date of Monday and an introductory news conference set for Tuesday at 9:30 a.m.
- Zacharia succeeds Karoline Leavitt and previously worked as a communications adviser to Trump Media and Technology Group.
- Trump praised her loyalty on Truth Social, saying she has been with him “in spirit, from the very beginning.”
- Zacharia said she looks forward to working with the White House press corps “to get that record out.”
Trump Announces His Pick And The Timing
President Trump broke the news on Truth Social, telling followers that Katie Zacharia would start work on Monday. He said she would hold an “introductory News Conference on Tuesday at 9:30 A.M. from the Press Briefing Room in the White House.” Trump added that Zacharia “has been with me, in spirit, from the very beginning, and will do a fantastic job!”
The announcement came after weeks without anyone holding regular briefings at the podium. Karoline Leavitt left the press secretary post at the end of August, leaving the role open heading into the fall. Multiple news outlets, including the Associated Press and NBC News, confirmed that Trump picked Zacharia to fill that gap and officially succeed Leavitt.
Who Is Katie Zacharia
Before stepping into the West Wing, Zacharia worked as a communications adviser for Trump Media and Technology Group, the company behind Truth Social. She also spent time at the Department of Homeland Security earlier in her career. Reporters have described her as a conservative commentator with close ties to the president’s media operation, a background that shaped much of the coverage leading up to her appointment.
Zacharia responded to her new role with a public statement thanking the president. “Thank you to President Trump for the distinguished privilege of serving as White House Press Secretary,” she said. She added that she looks forward to “working with the White House press corps, and with reporters across the country, to get that record out.”
Why The First Briefing Matters
White House press briefings carry a long tradition of documentation. Records stretch back decades, with transcripts and video archived from administrations going back to Richard Nixon and continuing through Bill Clinton, Barack Obama, and beyond. Those archives show briefings happening most weekdays, each one logged, transcribed, and made part of the public record.
That history sets a clear standard for Zacharia’s debut. A new press secretary’s first appearance behind the podium usually signals how the administration plans to handle questions from reporters in the months ahead. It also gives the public its first real look at how she handles pressure, fields tough questions, and represents the president’s message to the country.
🇺🇸🐸🐷
🌸 LIVE:
White House Press Secretary Katie Zacharia Holds Inaugural Press Briefing
10/13/26
👇https://t.co/WzgdSuTnru
🇺🇸👀— Asao_no_Friend🇯🇵🇺🇸🇬🇧 (@asaonofriend) October 13, 2026
For a conservative administration facing constant scrutiny from a skeptical press corps, having a loyal, media-savvy spokesperson at the podium matters. Zacharia’s background at Trump Media gives her direct experience defending the president’s messaging on friendly terms, something the West Wing clearly values after a stretch with no one holding the position at all. Her debut briefing gives the public its first real measure of how she’ll perform in that role going forward.
Sources:
abcnews.com, cnbc.com, nytimes.com, dw.com, nbcnews.com
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