President Donald Trump has named conservative commentator Katie Zacharia as the next White House press secretary, filling a post that has stood vacant since Karoline Leavitt left at the end of August.
The announcement, made on Friday, October 9, ends a six-week search for the administration's top communications official. Zacharia told Fox News she will begin in the role on Monday, October 12.
Who is Zacharia
Zacharia previously served as a senior communications adviser to Trump Media & Technology Group, the parent company of the president's social media platform Truth Social. Earlier, she completed a two-month stint as a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security under Secretary Kristi Noem.
Trump said Leavitt was consulted before the decision was made, and Leavitt publicly congratulated her successor.
A difficult search, by one account
CNN reported, citing unnamed sources, that the search had been complicated by vetting problems, with several candidates disqualified over past public criticism of the president. The report's details about the internal process are attributed to those unnamed sources and have not been independently confirmed.
The appointment places a seasoned communications operative at the White House podium at a politically sensitive moment, with the relationship between the press office and the White House press corps likely to shape the administration's messaging in the months ahead.
Sources:
- Trump selects Katie Zacharia as next White House press secretary — CNN
- Trump announces Katie Zacharia as new White House press secretary — USA Today
The announcement, made on Friday, October 9, ends a six-week search for the administration's top communications official. Zacharia told Fox News she will begin in the role on Monday, October 12.
Who is Zacharia
Zacharia previously served as a senior communications adviser to Trump Media & Technology Group, the parent company of the president's social media platform Truth Social. Earlier, she completed a two-month stint as a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security under Secretary Kristi Noem.
Trump said Leavitt was consulted before the decision was made, and Leavitt publicly congratulated her successor.
A difficult search, by one account
CNN reported, citing unnamed sources, that the search had been complicated by vetting problems, with several candidates disqualified over past public criticism of the president. The report's details about the internal process are attributed to those unnamed sources and have not been independently confirmed.
The appointment places a seasoned communications operative at the White House podium at a politically sensitive moment, with the relationship between the press office and the White House press corps likely to shape the administration's messaging in the months ahead.
Sources:
- Trump selects Katie Zacharia as next White House press secretary — CNN
- Trump announces Katie Zacharia as new White House press secretary — USA Today