Katie Zacharia, 41, has been named the new White House press secretary. The appointment follows the resignation of Karoline Leavitt and fills a role that had been vacant since August. Zacharia previously worked as a communications adviser for the president’s Trump Media and Technology Group and spent roughly a month as a spokesperson at the Department of Homeland Security.
Prior to her appointment, Zacharia was active on Truth Social, where she promoted the debunked Pizzagate conspiracy and expressed support for QAnon. She has posted allegations that Democrats and Hollywood elites are involved in child‑sex trafficking, and has called for Fox News to investigate figures such as John Podesta.
On September 7, 2022, she urged Fox News to feature a story about Podesta, tagging President Trump and host Sean Hannity. Three days later she posted the hashtag #pedoPodesta and accused Hollywood elites of being “pedo cannibals.” She also shared a post claiming Democrats “mask and rape your children” and a comment about Trump drinking bottled water as a coded signal linked to Q posts.
In a Truth Social announcement, Trump praised Zacharia’s loyalty and record, describing her as a “devoted fan and member of MAGA” and expressing confidence that she would deliver strong results. The Independent noted her background and the controversy surrounding her past posts. The White House did not comment further on the conspiracy theories.
