White House Press Secretary Katie Zacharia is leaving her position in the Trump administration less than a week after she was selected following the departure of Karoline Leavitt. Outlets including The New York Times and Fox News have reported that Zacharia was “transitioning out” of the press secretary position after overseeing only one press briefing. The decision came shortly after President Donald Trump told reporters he had urged her to “reconsider” the role.
“I said to Katie, you don’t have to do this if you don’t want to,” he said. A conservative commentator who most recently served as a senior communications adviser at Trump Media & Technology Group, Zacharia also served as a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security for about six weeks earlier this year. She took over the role as White House press secretary from Karoline Leavitt, who stepped down on Aug. 27.
In a statement posted on Truth Social last week, Trump called Zacharia's appointment as press secretary a “Great Honor” and said her past work was “outstanding.” He described her as “a distinguished Graduate of Pepperdine University, and the Pepperdine Caruso School of Law, an attorney, and a frequent Commentator on outlets, including Fox News and Newsmax.” “She was previously involved in my Campaigns, assisting in key Swing States, where we won 7 out of 7.
She has an unblemished record of support, and has been a loyal and brilliant supporter, right from the beginning,” Trump said. “She is, likewise, a devoted fan and member of MAGA! I am confident that Katie will deliver strong results for our Country as the next White House Press Secretary, as she has the respect of, and will work fantastically with, the Media, the American People, and my Administration.”