President Trump has offered conservative commentator Katie Zacharia the job of White House press secretary, putting a sharp communicator with deep Trump-world ties in line to become the public face of his administration.
Quick Take
- A White House official confirmed Trump offered Katie Zacharia the press secretary job on October 9, 2026.
- Zacharia would replace Karoline Leavitt, who left the post in late August after the birth of her second child.
- Zacharia previously worked as a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson, a lawyer, and a communications adviser to Trump Media & Technology Group.
- The White House has not confirmed whether Zacharia has formally accepted the offer.
White House Official Confirms The Offer
A White House official told reporters that President Trump offered Katie Zacharia the press secretary position. The confirmation came on October 9, 2026, and was reported independently by Fox News, The Hill, BBC, and Axios the same day. One official put it plainly to TheWrap: “The President has offered Katie Zacharia the position.”
Multiple news organizations reached the same conclusion through separate sourcing, giving the report real weight even without a formal presidential announcement. Fox News, The Hill, and Axios all cited White House officials or people familiar with the offer. That kind of cross-outlet agreement on the same day is a strong signal the offer is real, even as the White House has stayed quiet on whether Zacharia has said yes.
Filling A Vacancy Left By Leavitt
The press secretary job has sat empty for more than a month. Karoline Leavitt stepped down at the end of August after welcoming her second child, leaving a gap in the president’s daily messaging operation during a politically charged stretch. Fox News noted the timing matters because the administration wants a disciplined spokesperson ready to defend its agenda ahead of November’s congressional elections.
For conservatives who watched Leavitt become a breakout star for her no-nonsense handling of a hostile press corps, her departure left big shoes to fill. The administration appears to be betting that Zacharia, with her own media savvy and loyalty to the president’s movement, can keep that same combative, confident style at the podium.
Who Is Katie Zacharia
Zacharia brings a resume built for the job. She previously served as a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security, worked as a lawyer, built a following as a conservative media commentator, and most recently advised Trump Media & Technology Group, the company behind Truth Social. Her background blends legal training, government communications experience, and direct ties to the president’s business and media operations.
That combination has drawn attention because it places Zacharia inside the same media ecosystem that powers much of Trump’s direct outreach to supporters. Supporters see it as proof she understands how to fight back against a legacy press corps that conservatives have long accused of bias, while critics may frame it as evidence of how closely intertwined Trump’s political and media operations have become.
What Remains Unsettled
The White House has not said whether Zacharia has formally accepted the offer. Reporting from Fox News, The Hill, BBC, and Axios all described the offer as pending, and outlets including Yahoo and BBC said Zacharia had not yet responded publicly to requests for comment. No start date, first briefing, or signed appointment document has been made public.
That uncertainty is normal for a personnel move still in motion, not a sign anything is wrong. The press secretary role is more than a spokesperson’s chair. It is the administration’s main information conduit to the public, and whoever takes it will set the tone for how the White House communicates with voters through the midterms and beyond.
Sources:
cbsnews.com, noticias.foxnews.com, foxnews.com, yahoo.com
