Katie Zacharia: from communications advisor for Trump's social network to White House spokesperson

WashingtonThe White House has a press secretary again. Without barely looking up from the lectern and with an appearance much briefer than those her predecessor, Karoline Leavitt, used to make, Katie Zacharia debuted this Tuesday as the new spokesperson for the Donald Trump administration. The 41-year-old woman made her first appearance just after the US president announced over the weekend that he already had a new replacement for Leavitt.

Despite sharing the same MAGA aesthetic, the ease – and aggressiveness – that Leavitt had every time she stepped up to the lectern was not there today when Zacharia appeared. Even reading what she had written down on her papers the whole time did not save her from having a slip-up in which she even referred to Trump as her husband. The change in form, however, does not go much further: officialist speeches and falsehoods continued to mark the press conference, with the exception of one truth.

The new press secretary, who did not seem very comfortable in her new duties, did not give much room for questions either. A good portion of the few questions that Zacharia answered before quickly leaving the lectern came from press friendly to the administration, where the spokesperson elaborated on her family and traditional values.

The only news, and certainty, that came out of this appearance is that the White House has asked the US ambassador to Greece, Kimberly Guilfoyle, to "resign". Guilfoyle, who had previously been engaged to Trump's eldest son, is mired in a corruption scandal after The Wall Street Journal published an investigation revealing that the diplomat had asked a Republican donor for $100,000 to cover a hole in her credit card in order to pass her confirmation hearing in the Senate. In exchange, she promised political favors.

Talk show guest on conservative networks

Zacharia is a familiar face within the Trumpist world. The lawyer and mother of four already has some experience participating in talk shows on conservative networks. Before Trump chose her as his new spokesperson, Zacharia already had close ties with the tycoon: until now, she had been working as a communications advisor at the company that manages Truth Social, the Republican's social network.

Despite a lack of diplomatic skill in handling press conferences, Zacharia had previously held a similar position within the Trump administration. During the first year of the Republican's second term, the current press secretary already worked as a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for the controversial secretary Kristi Noem. At the beginning of the year, Noem was removed from office after attempting to justify the murders of two U.S. citizens at the hands of ICE, a body that depends directly on the DHS.

Zacharia also meets the implicit requirement demanded by Trump: blind loyalty to him and his cause. "Her track record of support is impeccable and she has been a loyal and brilliant supporter from the beginning," the tycoon assured this weekend when announcing her nomination. And he underlined: "Furthermore, she is a fervent admirer and member of the MAGA movement!". The new White House spokesperson is also known for having spread conspiracy theories on social media, such as one in which she accuses Hollywood elites of being "pedophile cannibals".

It had been 47 days since the White House held a press conference. Since Leavitt announced that she was permanently leaving the podium due to the birth of her second child, the role of press secretary has been rotating provisionally among different faces of the administration, such as Secretary of State Marco Rubio or Vice President J. D. Vance.

Leavitt, who was the youngest White House spokesperson in history, imposed an implacable and aggressive style from the first day she stepped up to the podium. Her abrupt departure took Washington's journalistic circles by surprise, given the firmness with which she defended Trump. Although the 28-year-old said she was leaving the position to dedicate herself entirely to her family, her departure also coincided with the secret operation in which the American president left a good part of his advisors on a plane over which a possible Iranian threat hung.