Trump Picks Katie Zacharia as New White House Press Secretary

President Donald Trump named Katie Zacharia as White House press secretary on Friday, according to a Guardian column by Arwa Mahdawi. Zacharia succeeds Karoline Leavitt, who stepped down in August.

Who is Katie Zacharia?

Zacharia most recently served as a communications adviser for the Trump Media and Technology Group, the Guardian reported. She has prior government experience as a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security. Trump cited her loyalty in announcing the pick. "She has an unblemished record of support," Trump said, per the Guardian. "She is … a devoted fan and member of Maga!"

Zacharia also previously worked for an anti-abortion advocacy group, according to the column.

Why did Karoline Leavitt step down?

Leavitt, 29, left the press secretary job in August, a few months after giving birth, the Guardian reported. Trump framed her exit around family, not politics.

"She decided she loved her children more than she loved Donald Trump," Trump said in August, according to the Guardian. "I'm very upset about this. She has to go home and spend time with her children. That does happen on occasion with some people — when they love their children."

Leavitt has since taken a role at Fox News, the column said.

What has Zacharia said that drew scrutiny?

Last year, Zacharia claimed on social platform X that the abortion medication mifepristone "is connected to the manufacturer of the deadly gas Zyklon B, used in the World War II concentration camps," the Guardian reported. The column described the underlying link as tenuous, noting conspiracy theorists have amplified a loose corporate connection rather than a direct scientific or regulatory one.

What is the timeline of the press secretary change?

• August 2026: Leavitt steps down as press secretary months after giving birth; Trump publicly laments the move.
• After August: Leavitt joins Fox News.
• Friday, Oct. 9–10, 2026 (per the Guardian's Oct. 13 report): Trump announces Zacharia as the new press secretary.
• Oct. 13, 2026: The Guardian publishes Mahdawi's column detailing Zacharia's background and the mifepristone claim.

What comes next for the press office?

The Guardian column is an opinion piece, and its framing of Zacharia — including characterizations tied to 2020 election claims and other contested beliefs — reflects the columnist's assessment rather than on-the-record statements from Zacharia herself in the material reviewed. The White House has not issued a separate statement responding to the column, based on available reporting.

Trump's own remarks, both about Leavitt's departure and Zacharia's appointment, remain the clearest on-record account of the transition. The president's description of loyalty as Zacharia's "most important qualification," in Mahdawi's words, sets the tone for how the administration is presenting the hire: continuity of message over independent scrutiny of the press secretary's past public claims.

Further developments — including any formal briefing schedule change or response from Zacharia on the mifepristone claim — were not detailed in the source material reviewed for this report.