Washington. Former television commentator Katie Zacharia will be the new White House spokeswoman. “I am confident that Katie will deliver strong results for our country as the new White House Press Secretary,” US President Donald Trump said on his Truth Social platform. Zacharia succeeds Karoline Leavitt, who resigned from her position at the end of August.
Zacharias is considered a staunch supporter of Trump. According to him, the conservative lawyer had already helped him in the election campaign and supported him in important swing states, i.e. in states that are particularly hotly contested between Republicans and Democrats. “She has proven to be a loyal and brilliant supporter from the beginning and enjoys an impeccable track record,” Trump continued, praising her.
A little later, Zacharia thanked him on various social media platforms and spoke of a “significant privilege”. “Serving President Trump and the American people during this pivotal time of the 250th anniversary is the honor of my life.”
The task now is to convey to the American people the “great successes” that Trump's administration achieves every day. She wrote that she looks forward to working with White House press officials and reporters across the country to spread the word about these successes. “Following the fabulous Karoline Leavitt is a high standard that is worth fulfilling.”
There is no easy task ahead of Zacharia: In the future, it will be up to her to convey Trump's points of view as successfully as possible - at a time when the president is struggling with poor popularity ratings in the country.
According to her LinkedIn profile, she most recently worked as a communications consultant for the Trump Media & Technology Group, which also includes the Truth Social platform. She previously served briefly as deputy spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. She also appeared as a commentator on Trump's house channel Fox News and the ultra-conservative US channel Newsmax.
Leavitt had her last day as White House press secretary at the end of August. Trump had surprisingly announced her departure about two weeks before. At less than 30 years old, Leavitt was the youngest speaker ever to hold the post since the beginning of Trump's second term.
The US President justified her departure by saying that she would then have more time for her family. Leavitt decided to take this step, which he “fully” understands and respects, he wrote. Leavitt also referred to the double burden of being a mother of two small children and White House press secretary.
“The truth is: Since returning to the White House after the birth of my daughter, I have felt in my heart that I cannot be the best mother my two young children deserve by consistently devoting the time, energy and attention that being White House Press Secretary requires.” Therefore, she ultimately made the “bittersweet decision” to leave the White House. Leavitt gave birth to her second child, a daughter, in early May. She already has a little son who was born in 2024.
As spokeswoman for the White House, she made a name for herself with her sharp tongue. She often strongly reprimanded questioning journalists and accused the media of spreading fake news.
Even after Leavitt's departure, Trump did not let up on his sometimes harsh actions against media representatives. Recently, the dispute over the exclusion of several US media outlets from the White House caused a stir and criticism, which is now being fought out in court.
Trump told reporters about his future press secretary that she likes people. "Actually, she likes all of you. I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing, but we just hired a new press secretary and I think she's going to be great."
