Katie Zacharia will be the next White House press secretary

President Donald Trump has chosen conservative commentator Katie Zacharia to serve as the new White House press secretary, filling a post that had been vacant since late summer.

Trump announced the appointment on his Truth Social platform, praising Zacharia as a committed ally who will communicate effectively with the public and reporters. Zacharia replaces Karoline Leavitt, who stepped down from the role toward the end of August and was recently hired by Fox News as an on-air contributor.

In her own post on Truth Social, Zacharia called the selection an exceptional honor and expressed gratitude to the president. She stated that her primary focus would be highlighting the administration's policy achievements to the American electorate and working alongside journalists in the White House press corps and nationwide. She also paid tribute to her predecessor, noting that succeeding Leavitt set a high benchmark.

Zacharia arrives at the podium after working as a senior communications adviser for Trump Media & Technology Group, the parent firm operating Truth Social. Earlier in the year, she completed a brief tenure handling communications at the Department of Homeland Security, according to her professional profile. Trump also noted that she had previously assisted his political operations across several competitive battleground states.

Beyond her advisory roles, Zacharia has been a frequent commentator across right-leaning networks, including Newsmax, Fox News, and Fox Business, while regularly championing administration initiatives online. A mother of four based in California, she holds a law degree from the Pepperdine Caruso School of Law, where she sits on the dean's advisory council.

The personnel change comes as Trump has repeatedly voiced frustration regarding the White House's public outreach. Speaking at recent appearances, including a campaign rally in Oklahoma and an event in the East Room, the president argued that strong governance was being obscured by inadequate promotional strategy and negative press coverage as critical elections approach.

White House officials have not yet confirmed the precise date Zacharia will formally begin her briefing duties behind the podium. Her selection was initially reported by The New York Times before administration sources and Trump confirmed the decision on Friday.