President Donald Trump named conservative commentator and communications adviser Katy Zacharia as White House press secretary on October 9, 2026, succeeding Karoline Leavitt following her August departure.
Katy Zacharia Named White House Press Secretary
President Donald Trump formally announced on October 9, 2026, that conservative commentator and communications professional Katy Zacharia will step into the role of White House press secretary. The appointment brings a familiar voice from conservative media and the President’s past campaign operations directly into the West Wing briefing room.
Writing on his social network Truth Social, Trump praised his incoming press secretary as a loyal figure who has backed his political movement from the very beginning. For me, it is a great honor to appoint Katy Zacharia as White House press secretary, Trump wrote in his announcement.
She has an impeccable reputation and has been a loyal and brilliant supporter from the very beginning. She is also a dedicated supporter and participant in the MAGA movement! I am confident that Katy will achieve high results for our country as the next White House press secretary.
Zacharia takes over the position from Karoline Leavitt, who stepped down from the demanding post in August to spend time with her family and children. Following her exit from the administration, Leavitt is set to join Fox News as a staff commentator starting November 1, bringing her West Wing experience to the network’s digital and television platforms.
Zacharia Joins Administration After Career In Media And Law
Before stepping into the incoming press secretary role, Zacharia built a career spanning political communications, digital media, and law. As a practicing attorney, she also spent time working as a lawyer in Beijing.
Outside of government operations, Zacharia became a recognizable face for conservative television viewers. She frequently appeared as a political commentator on networks such as Fox News and Newsmax. At the time of her White House appointment, she was working as a senior communications adviser for Trump Media & Technology Group, the corporate parent of the Truth Social platform.
Trump Points To Battleground State Campaign Work
Trump highlighted Zacharia’s ground-level political work as a factor in her selection. According to the President’s announcement, she contributed directly to his recent White House bids by working inside competitive battleground states. Trump noted that her efforts helped secure victories across all seven key swing states during the campaign.
As a press secretary, Zacharia will inherit a portfolio that extends far beyond the television cameras of the daily press briefing. The position requires managing complex communications between the executive branch and the national press corps, coordinating messaging across government departments, and advising the President on media strategy.
How Zacharia will manage relations with the national press corps from the podium remains unstated.