US President Donald Trump confirmed on Friday the appointment of conservative commentator Katie Zakaria as the new White House Press Secretary. She previously served as a spokesperson for the US Department of Homeland Security under Kristi Noem. She fills the vacancy left by the resignation of former Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt. Zakaria, 42, is a lawyer and a regular guest on Fox News and Newsmax. Earlier this year, she abruptly resigned from her role as a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson in March, just six weeks after assuming the position.
According to the Daily Mail, Trump confirmed her appointment in a post on his social media platform, Truth Social, on Friday. He described the California-born Zakaria as “extraordinary.” Trump wrote that she has an unblemished record of support; she has been a loyal and talented supporter from the very beginning and is a dedicated advocate and member of the “Make America Great Again” (MAGA) movement.
Zakaria currently serves as a communications advisor for Trump Media & Technology Group, the company that owns Truth Social. According to a New York Times report, Trump selected her for the Press Secretary role on Friday. Karoline Leavitt had resigned in late August to spend more time with her two young children, leaving the White House briefing room without a permanent Press Secretary for over a month. CNN reported that Trump consulted personally with Leavitt before finalizing Zakaria’s selection.
Reports indicate that Zakaria met with Trump on Friday morning, just hours before the news of her appointment became public. Before Zakaria’s name emerged, several media personalities aligned with the MAGA movement had been considered as potential candidates for the position. Among them were CNN commentator Scott Jennings, former Fox Business host Maria Bartiromo, and Trump’s former lawyer Alina Habba.
