Trump Selects Katie Zacharia as New White House Press Secretary — Weeks After Karoline Leavitt's Surprise Exit

Donald Trump has reportedly found his next White House communications star, tapping former Fox News contributor Katie Zacharia to join his administration as a potential successor to his high-profile former press secretary Karoline Leavitt, RadarOnline.com can reveal.

Although Trump has not yet made an official announcement, it was reported on Friday, October 9, that Zacharia, 42, had landed the coveted job. She most recently served as senior communications adviser for Trump Media & Technology Group, the parent company of the president's beloved Truth Social platform.

"Trump in recent days called a number of his close allies and advisers to seek their opinion of Zacharia, Karoline Leavitt, a person familiar with the discussions told CNN," the network's White House correspondent Alayna Treene wrote in a post on X, noting that "multiple White House officials" informed the network that the conservative commentator had scored the job.

Zacharia is a familiar face to most Republicans, having worked as a commentator at several outlets, including Fox News' prime-time lineup, Newsmax, and One America News Network.

The blonde graduated from Malibu's prestigious Pepperdine University in 2007 before returning to earn her Juris Doctor from the school's law program in 2011.

Zacharia appeared to catch Trump's eye in August after delivering a live Fox News report from the Port of Los Angeles in San Pedro, California, during a segment emblazoned with the headline "Trump on Mission to Stop Drugs at the Border."

The president was apparently impressed enough to repost the footage on his Truth Social platform.

Zacharia reposted it on X, thanked the president, and when she shared it on Instagram, she gushed in the caption that it was the "honor of a lifetime" to have her work recognized by the Commander-in-Chief.

Like Leavitt, Zacharia is no stranger to juggling a high-powered career with motherhood. The former Fox News contributor married producer and fellow Pepperdine alum Tyler Zacharia in 2011, and the couple shares four children.

Leavitt had been one of Trump's most fiercely loyal defenders since taking over as White House press secretary at the start of his second term in January 2025. She remains the youngest woman ever to hold the position, taking over at 27.

Already a married mom, the New Hampshire native expanded her family when her daughter, Viviana, was born in May. But balancing the relentless demands of her job with raising two children under two reportedly took its toll.

Despite returning from maternity leave in July, Leavitt stunned Washington by announcing her resignation on August 12, bringing her headline-grabbing tenure behind the White House briefing room podium to an abrupt end.

Upon her resignation, Trump called Leavitt "one of my most trusted aides" and said her choice to put her family first was "a decision I totally understand and respect!"

He added, "Karoline has been one of the best White House Press Secretaries in the History of the Office. Thank you, Karoline, for a job well done!"

Leavitt has wasted no time jumping back into the spotlight, landing a contributor gig at Fox News and appearing on Sean Hannity's prime-time show just one day before reports emerged that Zacharia was poised to take over her old White House job.