Who Is Katie Zacharia? 10 Photos From Trump's New Press Secretary's Awkward Press Conference

Katie Zacharia's first appearance as White House press secretary lasted just 14 minutes, featured three questions and included an awkward verbal slip about her husband. Her debut also raised questions about US intelligence-sharing with Ukraine and her legal credentials.

Who Is Katie Zacharia?

Zacharia is a conservative political commentator who previously worked for Trump Media & Technology Group and in public affairs at the US Department of Homeland Security. President Donald Trump announced her appointment on 9 October, replacing Karoline Leavitt, who left the position in August.

She graduated from Pepperdine University School of Law in 2011 and later worked in Beijing for law firm Zhong Lun. She also served as general counsel for the nonprofit Fix California from 2024 to 2025. Her appointment placed her in a high-profile role communicating the administration's position to reporters.

Inside Her Awkward First Briefing

On 13 October, Zacharia spent much of her 14-minute debut reading prepared remarks promoting Trump's agenda on energy, immigration and tariffs. She said her role was to amplify Trump's agenda.

The questions concerned the media rotation introduced under Leavitt, whether her role was to help Republicans ahead of the midterm elections, and US intelligence-sharing with Ukraine. Zacharia said she intended to maintain the rotation and focus on communicating Trump's agenda and achievements.

Discussing how she would balance the job with raising four children, Zacharia said missing evenings with them was unacceptable. She began, 'So my president,' before correcting herself: 'Excuse me, my husband.' She then joked, 'That's a good one.'

Zacharia ended the briefing by saying Trump was heading to Marine One for a trip to Alaska and suggesting reporters could ask him questions outside. However, Trump did not leave the White House for nearly an hour and a half after the briefing ended.

The Questions She Could Not Answer Immediately

Asked whether the United States had stopped sharing intelligence with Ukraine, Zacharia said she would have to get back to reporters.

She also announced that the White House had asked Kimberly Guilfoyle, the US ambassador to Greece, to resign. Zacharia called Guilfoyle a 'wonderful asset' and wished her well.

Questions About Her Legal Credentials

After the briefing, as Trump headed towards Marine One, a reporter asked Zacharia which state had admitted her to the bar. She replied, 'When I moved to China.'

A report published by The Wall Street Journal on 15 October said Zacharia sat the California bar exam in 2011 but did not pass. The State Bar of California said it had no record of her being licensed there.

Zacharia later told The New York Times that noise from Marine One caused her to mishear the question. She said she thought the reporter was asking where she had been after law school and did not move closer because she wanted to respect protocol.

Zacharia has said she 'practiced international transaction law, with all the appropriate credentials'. The White House said she worked on international transactional law in China but has not publicly provided evidence that she was admitted to practise in a US state.

A law degree and international legal experience are distinct from admission to a US state bar. The findings raise questions about her credentials but do not establish wrongdoing. Trump later praised her performance.