Katie Zacharia has been appointed White House press secretary, President Donald Trump announced Friday afternoon.
"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!" Trump said in a post on his social media platform.
Later Friday during a press gaggle on the South Lawn as he was departing for a campaign rally in New York, Trump said, "she's going to be, I think, terrific."
“She's a friend of most of you. I know she likes people. She likes all of you. Actually, I don't know if that's good or bad,” Trump said.
In a post on X, Zacharia called the appointment "the honor of a lifetime."
"The work ahead is to continue delivering strong results for our Country and communicating to the American people the major wins that this Administration is making every single day. I look forward to working with the White House press corps, and with reporters across the country, to get that record out," she said.
The position has been open since August, when Karoline Leavitt left after the birth of her second child in May. Trump did not say when Zacharia will officially start.
Trump said that Zacharia currently serves as the senior communications adviser for Trump Media & Technology Group, the company that owns and runs the president's social media platform Truth Social. According to her LinkedIn profile, she's held that position since June.
She worked briefly in the Department of Homeland Security's public affairs office as a deputy assistant secretary for two months and later as DHS spokesperson after Tricia McLaughlin's departure, working under Lauren Bis, now the senior deputy White House press secretary.
Trump said Zacharia assisted in his campaigns in key swing states before joining the administration.
Zacharia has also served as general counsel of the conservative political advocacy group Fix California, a 501(c)(4) founded by Trump ally Ric Grenell, since 2024, according to her LinkedIn bio.
Trump said that Zacharia also spent time as a political commentator for Fox News and Newsmax. Her LinkedIn bio says she has also been featured on CNN and One America News Network as a commentator.
Zacharia received her bachelor's degree in political science from Pepperdine University and her law degree from Pepperdine's Caruso School of Law and lived in China for several years, where she worked for a firm focused on U.S.-China relations, according to her LinkedIn profile.
"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," Trump wrote.