Donald Trump’s new press secretary is off to a rocky start after taking the position from Karoline Leavitt.
Former Fox News Trump ‘expert’ Katie Zacharia, 41, took the podium for the first time yesterday and told reporters: ‘I am so honoured to work for President Trump and the American people. I have wanted to work for him for a very long time.’
The rest of her speech was – quite frankly – painful to listen to. She flipped through her notes, barely looking up at reporters, and kept a tight smile as she stumbled through the words.
Reporters asked how she would manage keeping up with her four children and husband as she took on the new role.
She said her husband was helping with bedtime, but then added, ‘My president — sorry, my husband.’
She then added, seemingly trying to save face: ‘That’s a good one.’
America has taken notice already and questioned her qualifications, cadence and tone within the press briefing room. Leavitt, her predecessor, was known for her harsh delivery and no-nonsense approach. It appears Zacharia has some catching up to do.
The Guardian observed: ‘She made her debut with all the warmth, wisdom and political dexterity of an AI avatar.’
Who is Katie Zacharia?
Zacharia attended Pepperdine University, earning an undergraduate degree and a law degree.
She identifies as a lawyer, but no public records appear to show that she has passed the bar exam.
In 2024, she began working with Newsmax and then shifted to political commentary on Fox News.
For one month this year, she worked as a deputy assistant secretary for public affairs with the Department of Homeland Security.
She’s also worked with Truth Social and Trump Media as a senior communications adviser.
A history of spreading conspiracy
Politically, she aligns almost completely with Trump and spouts many conspiracy theories. In 2022, she shared a post on Truth Social that said Putin was fighting a secret network of ‘elites’.
‘Putin is at war with the CABAL – and Ukraine is in bed with them,’ the reshared post read.
Trump has repeatedly praised Zacharia for her ‘loyalty’ and support.
The Telegraph reported, however, that Zacharia wrote on X: ‘2026 midterms will be a bloodbath if we don’t shift course now.’
The post is now deleted, but it’s raised some questions about Zacharia’s ‘unbridled’ loyalty.
Another deleted tweet accused the Justice Department of covering up for those involved in the Jeffrey Epstein files.
Other posts have shown that she shared conspiracy theories about ‘Pizzagate’, which claims a cabal of paedophiles were abusing children.
When asked about her former posts, Zacharia said in a statement: ‘I am grateful to serve President Trump as Press Secretary, and I will diligently and effectively amplify his successful agenda.’
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