The White House has offered its next press secretary role to Katie Zacharia, a lawyer, conservative commentator, and senior communications advisor at Trump Media & Technology Group, a White House official confirmed to CNBC. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the hiring announcement.
Zacharia, who describes herself as a “hardline Trump supporter,” has been offered the job, though it was not immediately clear whether she has accepted. So the podium at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue may have a new owner soon, pending one very important phone call back.
If she takes it, Zacharia will step into the shoes of Karoline Leavitt, who departed the Trump administration in late August after going on maternity leave following the birth of her second child. Leavitt isn’t exactly heading into the wilderness, though. She’ll join Fox News as an on-air contributor starting in November, which honestly sounds like a lateral move for someone already used to talking to cameras all day.
According to the Katie Zacharia press secretary report, Zacharia has been serving since June as a senior communications advisor for Trump Media, the company behind Truth Social, the president’s preferred social media platform. Her LinkedIn profile also lists her as general counsel at Fix California, a conservative activist group founded by Richard Grenell, Trump’s special presidential envoy for special missions and former head of the Kennedy Center.
Zacharia also did a two-month stint as a spokeswoman for the Department of Homeland Security earlier this year, wrapping up in March. So she’s got executive branch experience, conservative media credentials, and a LinkedIn page that reads like a greatest hits of the MAGA ecosystem.
An IMDb page for Zacharia shows dozens of appearances on Fox News and other conservative outlets, meaning she already knows how to handle a camera and a tough question, which is basically the whole job description.
The New York Times first reported the White House’s selection of Zacharia. The next step is confirmation that she’s accepted the offer, at which point the briefing room gets a new face and the press corps gets a new sparring partner. Given her background, don’t expect a lot of softballs going unanswered. Drop your thoughts in the comments or share this on social media.
Photo credit: Katie Zacharia Instagram.
