Who’s the new White House Press Secretary Katie Zacharia?

Katie Zacharia — Incoming White House Press Secretary

Katie Zacharia is a conservative commentator and communications professional whom President Donald Trump named on Friday, October 9, 2026 to be the next White House Press Secretary, succeeding Karoline Leavitt.

The Basics

• Current role (before the appointment): Senior Communications Adviser at Trump Media & Technology Group, the company behind Truth Social
• Prior government stint: Spokesperson at the Department of Homeland Security (roughly February–March 2026)
• Media background: Frequent fixture on Fox News and Newsmax as a conservative commentator
• Age: 42
• Political roots: Interned for the Republican National Committee and worked in the White House Office of Political Affairs during the Bush administration (2006)

How It Was Announced

Trump made the announcement on Truth Social, calling her “a loyal and brilliant supporter, right from the beginning” and saying he was confident she’d “deliver strong results.”

She becomes Trump’s sixth chief spokesperson across his two administrations.

The Handoff

• Karoline Leavitt announced her departure August 12, 2026 and left the post August 27
• She cited wanting to spend more time with her young children (she gave birth to her second child in May)
• Leavitt has reportedly moved to a role at Fox News

Why the Timing Matters

The appointment lands less than four weeks before the midterm elections — a period when the press secretary’s podium becomes one of the most visible megaphones in the country. Expect a combative briefing-room dynamic; Zacharia’s background is in partisan communications, not neutral press coordination.

Note: This is drawn from recent reporting (AP, BBC, Politico, WaPo) — treat any single-source detail on her DHS tenure with the usual skepticism, since the mainstream outlets covering it have their own framing incentives.

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