President Trump's new White House press secretary Katie Zacharia is expected to take the podium on Tuesday for her first press briefing. Zacharia steps in as Trump's chief spokesperson at a moment when his popularity has fallen to record lows and Republicans are scrambling to limit potential losses in the midterm elections.
The Trump administration is also engaged in a legal battle with the press corps that work to cover Trump. Last month, the White House restricted access by CNN, MS NOW and Politico, news organizations that Trump views as unfriendly. The Justice Department has since launched an investigation into the five television networks that share pool video coverage of Trump.
In a post on social media, Zacharia, an attorney and a mother of four, offered no hint of the challenges ahead. She described her new job as the "honor of a lifetime" and praised Trump's policies. "His confidence is a true privilege, and his leadership is a blessing to this country," Zacharia wrote on Friday.
In naming Zacharia, Trump praised her longstanding personal loyalty. "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!"
Zacharia, 41, a graduate of Pepperdine Caruso School of Law, has worked for a number of conservative organizations, according to her online resume. She served on the advisory board for an anti-abortion group called The White Rose Resistance that took its name from Christian students who challenged the Nazis. White Rose says it's working to counter "the same evils, the same apathy" faced by opponents of the Nazi regime.
More recently, Zacharia has served as a communications advisor for the Trump Media & Technology Group, the firm that operates Trump's Truth Social platform. She has also been a frequent pro-Trump commentator on conservative outlets including Fox News and Newsmax.
During an appearance in August on the network Real America's Voice, Zacharia weighed in on the Lindsay Clancy murder trial, arguing that "toxic feminism" had skewed the public's view of the case. Clancy was charged with killing her three children. The 5-week trial ended in a mistrial after sparking a national conversation over postpartum depression.
"This started with the advocation of abortion," Zacharia said. "When women are championing the death and murder and the ability to murder their children from conception all the way through, when does humanity begin and end?"
Zacharia has also used her social media posts to amplify right-wing conspiracy theories, including claims that Democratic leaders took part in pedophile rings. In one post from 2022, she described former Democratic White House chief of staff John Podesta as "Pedo Podesta." That same year she shared a post from a far-right commentator who claimed Democrats "want to mask and rape your children."
NPR asked the White House for comment on the posts, which were first uncovered by the online progressive media site, Popular Information. Administration officials responded in an email by praising Zacharia without addressing her social media comments.
After being named to serve as White House press secretary, Zacharia drew praise from other administration officials. FBI director Kash Patel described her as "sharp, fearless" and someone who "knows what it means to stand for the American people."
Karoline Leavitt, who held the press secretary post until August before stepping down, also praised Zacharia. "I have no doubt Katie will do great work for President Trump and our country," she said on X.
In an appearance on Fox News on Saturday, Zacharia boosted Trump's controversial plan to import Russian diesel fuel, which has drawn bipartisan criticism. She also praised Trump's efforts to rally GOP support ahead of the November vote, while suggesting congressional Republicans may be to blame for any losses.
"President Trump has made the case and delivered historic results. I would have loved to see more from our congressional Republicans and Senate," she said.
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