President Trump has appointed Katie Zacharia as White House press secretary, elevating a Trump Media adviser and former Homeland Security spokeswoman to replace Karoline Leavitt after her exit.
Two White House officials told Fox News Digital on Friday afternoon that Zacharia had been offered the job as the next White House press secretary. The report left open whether she had accepted at that moment. Later coverage carried the president’s own announcement of the appointment.
Zacharia steps into one of the most visible jobs in Washington. The press secretary faces the briefing room, sets the daily message, and answers for the administration under constant scrutiny.
Karoline Leavitt left the post in late August after the birth of her second child in May. On her final day she said on Fox & Friends that she had privately advised President Trump on her replacement.
Since Leavitt’s departure, the White House has held only two formal press briefings, one with Vice President JD Vance and one with Attorney General Todd Blanche. Filling the chair restores a steady public face for the administration.
The New York Post reported that President Trump confirmed Zacharia would replace Leavitt. The president pointed to her campaign work and long loyalty.
"She was previously involved in my Campaigns, assisting in key Swing States, where we won 7 out of 7,"
Trump said. He added a broader endorsement of her record.
"She has an unblemished record of support, and has been a loyal and brilliant supporter, right from the beginning. She is, likewise, a devoted fan and member of MAGA!"
the president said.
Breitbart carried the appointment in the president’s own words, closing out the search for Leavitt’s successor.
"It is my Great Honor to have just appointed, as Press Secretary, Katie Zacharia.... Good luck Katie! President DONALD J. TRUMP"
Just The News likewise reported that the Trump Media adviser had been offered the press secretary post, aligning with the Fox confirmation and the later public announcement.
Zacharia currently serves as a senior communications adviser at Trump Media & Technology Group, the company that runs Truth Social. She is an attorney and a frequent television commentator. She also briefly served as a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson after Tricia McLaughlin left her post under then-Secretary Kristi Noem.
The New York Post noted additional Republican experience, including work at Fix California, founded by Ric Grenell, and earlier help on Trump campaigns in key swing states.
She is a mother of four. She has been married since 2011 to Tyler Zacharia, a producer whose credits include the 2019 film The Irishman and the 2025 movie Roofman. She has noted on Instagram that he has also worked with Angel Studios on projects including David, Brink of War, and Young Washington.
Leavitt’s departure after her second child’s birth opened the vacancy. Her final-day comment that she had advised Trump on the replacement underscored a managed handoff rather than a scramble.
The thin schedule since late August, only the Vance briefing and the Blanche briefing, made the need for a permanent press secretary plain. The James S. Brady Press Briefing Room works best with a regular occupant who can take questions day after day.
Zacharia’s mix of Trump Media work, prior DHS messaging, legal training, and on-air experience matches the demands of that room. The president’s public praise framed her as a known quantity inside the movement, not a late arrival.
Personnel choices at this level show priorities. Trump selected a communicator already tied to his media operation and tested in a Cabinet agency shop. He also kept the lane open for Leavitt’s private counsel on the way out.
The offer first surfaced through White House officials speaking to Fox on Friday. The president’s own statements then locked in the decision for the public record. That sequence moved the story from a reported offer to a named successor.
Open items remain ordinary for a developing personnel story. Early reporting asked whether the offer had been accepted. The appointment language and Trump’s congratulations answered that in public. Formal White House paperwork and her first briefing date will follow in the normal course.
For now the core facts are fixed. Leavitt left in late August. The briefing pace slowed to two formal sessions. Officials confirmed an offer to Zacharia. Trump appointed her and praised her campaign work, loyalty, and MAGA credentials.
A White House that puts a clear, loyal communicator at the podium treats the daily fight for public attention as serious business, and voters can judge the results for themselves.
