Watch: Katie Zacharia Begins Her First White House Press Briefing with a Message to Trump
The content introduces Katie Zacharia as the new White House press secretary, highlighting her first media briefing. Zacharia expressed gratitude too President Trump for his trust and emphasized her enthusiasm for working amid a busy midterm election period. She praised Trump’s recent rally, mentioning its energetic attendance. Mixed reviews followed her debut: some noted she seemed nervous but relatable, and others pointed out that her briefing was brief and primarily focused on Trump’s accomplishments. Zacharia shared personal details about her four children and discussed balancing her family life wiht her demanding role, praising Trump as the moast family-friendly president and stating her intention to involve her family in her work. Despite some criticism from outlets like CNN regarding her brief appearance, she appeared confident and committed. Previously, Zacharia served as a senior advisor for Trump Media and Tech Group and briefly worked for the Department of Homeland Security. Her appointment was announced by Trump, who praised her support and trustworthiness, indicating his confidence in her capabilities as she steps into the role.
New White House press secretary Katie Zacharia opened her first media briefing Tuesday with a message for President Donald Trump.
“I want to thank President Trump for his trust that he has placed in me. I have wanted to work for him for a very long time. I’m looking forward to working with each of you as well, especially as we are in the middle of the midterm blitz, with energy and excitement never seen before in the history of midterms, thanks to President Trump,” she said.
Zacharia then touted Trump’s rally in Youngstown, Ohio, Monday night, “where President Trump delivered another blockbuster rally out on the trail. The arena was overflowing with enthusiasm as thousands came out to support President Trump, as well as special guests Jake Paul and football legend Jon Gruden.”
The California native received mixed reviews for her first turn at the podium. Conservative journalist and social media influencer Eric Daugherty posted on X, “She’s going to be running through Trump’s wins on a regular basis so the fake news can’t ignore it. Trump surrounds himself with people who actually believe in the mission.”
🚨 JUST IN: New Trump White House Press Secretary Katie Zacharia just WALKED OUT for the FIRST time in the briefing room
“I want to thank President Trump for his trust that he has placed in me. I have wanted to work for him for a VERY long time.” 🇺🇸
LFG, @KatieZacharia!
“President Trump delivered another blockbuster rally…the arena was filled with ENTHUSIASM.”
She’s going to be running through Trump’s wins on a REGULAR basis so the fake news can’t ignore it.
Trump surrounds himself with people who actually believe in the mission 🇺🇸
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) October 13, 2026
Turning Point USA spokesman Andrew Kolvet observed, “Thought it was smart of new WH Press Sec Katie Zacharia to rip the band-aid and hold her first press briefing straight away. She came off perhaps a bit nervous reading the prepared statement, but very relatable and likeable. She lit up when talking about her family.”
“And she made news (that wasn’t about her), dropping a bomb with the news that Amb. [Kimberly] Guilfoyle has been asked to resign. She also announced new midterm rally stops for the president. Solid start! Good for her,” he added.
Thought it was smart of new WH Press Sec Katie Zacharia to rip the band-aid and hold her first press briefing straight away. She came off perhaps a bit nervous reading the prepared statement, but very relatable and likeable. She lit up when talking when about her family.
And she made news (that wasn’t about her), dropping a bomb with the news that Amb. Guilfoyle has been asked to resign.
She also announced new midterm rally stops for the president.
Solid start! Good for her.
— Andrew Kolvet (@AndrewKolvet) October 13, 2026
As Kolvet noted, Zacharia did light up when talking about her four children, ages 12, 10, 8, and 6.
A reporter asked her how she planned to balance work and family, noting that former White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt stepped down because she found the job too demanding with a newborn and a toddler.
Zacharia responded, saying Leavitt offered her good counsel on how to be a mother of young children in the position.
She also praised her husband for bringing all four kids from California to Washington, D.C., for the week so they could be together to celebrate two family birthdays. Zacharia said they plan to move to the D.C. area.
“I intend to, to the extent possible, include my family, include my kids in my work; though my work will be demanding, they will always be a priority. President Trump is the most family-friendly president we’ve ever had. He has hired more women with families, and the fact he knew I had four kids and he knew this job would be demanding and still placed his trust in me shows that I know I’m capable of being able to step up to that,” Zacharia said.
Katie Zacharia, a Mother of Four, Delivers a Powerful Pro-Family Message During Her First White House Press Briefing, Praising Trump as the Most Family-Friendly President in American History
She spoke about her love for four children and the importance of balancing motherhood with one of the most demanding jobs in Washington.
“President Trump is the most family-friendly president we’ve ever had.”
“The fact that he knew I had four kids and he knew that this job would be demanding and still placed his trust in me shows that I know I’m capable.”
Zacharia also revealed that her family is moving to Washington, D.C., allowing her to keep her children close while serving in the White House.
Well said, @KatieZacharia
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) October 13, 2026
CNN, which is no fan of the Trump administration, and vice versa, reported that an unnamed White House official called Zacharia’s first briefing “brutal” and unlikely to satisfy Trump.
“Zacharia appeared at the podium for only about 15 minutes, and most of that time was dedicated to an opening statement touting Trump’s accomplishments. She only called on three reporters for questions before ending the briefing,” the outlet noted.
Another adviser told CNN that the first briefing was not great, but that Trump would give her the benefit of the doubt and time to get her footing in the new role.
Leavitt had the advantage of working directly for White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany during Trump’s first term and as his campaign spokeswoman in 2024.
McEnany, in turn, had worked as an intern in the White House press shop during President George W. Bush’s second term when Dana Perino was press secretary. She was also the national spokeswoman for the Republican National Committee in 2017 and the Trump presidential campaign in 2019 before being named White House press secretary in April 2020.
In announcing Zacharia as his pick for the new press secretary Friday, Trump posted on , “She has an unblemished record of support, and has been a loyal and brilliant supporter, right from the beginning. She is, likewise, a devoted fan and member of MAGA!
“I am confident that Katie will deliver strong results for our Country as the next White House Press Secretary, as she has the respect of, and will work fantastically with, the Media, the American People, and my Administration.”
Before accepting the White House job, Zacharia was a senior communications advisor to Trump Media and Technology Group, which includes , and was a regular guest as a conservative commentator on Fox News and other outlets.
She served briefly as a Department of Homeland Security spokeswoman earlier this year.
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