Katie Zacharia’s Abortion Pill Claim: Why Trump’s New Press Secretary Linked Mifepristone to Nazi Germany

President Donald Trump appointed conservative commentator and Trump Media adviser Katie Zacharia as White House press secretary on Oct. 10, bringing renewed attention to her previous claims linking the abortion drug mifepristone to Zyklon B, the poison gas used by the Nazis in concentration camps during World War II.

In a November 2025 post on X, Zacharia wrote, “The abortion pill, Mifepristone … is connected to the manufacturer of the deadly gas Zyklon B, used in the World War II concentration camps. Zyklon-B was originally used as a pesticide and marketed by the German Corporation for Pest Control, now known as Detia Degesch GmbH.”

In a separate interview, Zacharia said the drug uses “the same chemicals that they used in the extermination camps in Nazi Germany” to stop progesterone and cut off oxygen to the baby.

How Mifepristone Works and Blocks Progesterone

Mifepristone is a medication used to end a pregnancy. It blocks progesterone, a hormone that helps maintain the uterine lining during pregnancy, and is commonly used with misoprostol in medication abortion.

In 1980, senior chemist Georges Teutsch synthesized a compound designated RU-38486, which researchers identified as a potent progesterone antagonist. It later became known as RU-486. France approved the drug for use in ending pregnancies in 1988. Its development and initial approval therefore preceded Roussel Uclaf’s acquisition by Hoechst AG.

Mifepristone’s mechanism of action is distinct from the effects of Zyklon B, which was used as a poison gas. Establishing whether two substances share particular chemical compounds requires scientific evidence; a corporate relationship between manufacturers does not establish such a connection.

Tracing Corporate Links Behind Zacharia’s Claim

Zacharia’s argument draws on the history of companies associated with Zyklon B and the later ownership of Roussel Uclaf, the company that developed mifepristone. During World War II, the German chemical conglomerate IG Farben was involved in producing Zyklon B through its subsidiary Degesch. The gas was used by the Nazis to murder prisoners in concentration camps, including Auschwitz, during the Holocaust.

Roussel Uclaf developed mifepristone decades later. Hoechst AG acquired the French pharmaceutical company in 1997, nine years after France approved the drug. Hoechst had been part of IG Farben before and during World War II, but Roussel Uclaf’s later acquisition does not establish that mifepristone’s development was connected to Nazi Germany.

Emile Baulieu, a Jewish scientist who worked in biochemistry and neuroscience, played a central role in developing mifepristone. Accounts of the drug’s development trace its origins to pharmaceutical research in France during the 1970s, rather than to the Nazi regime.

Katie Zacharia’s Career, Background and Political Ties

Before she was appointed White House press secretary, Zacharia served as a senior communications adviser for Trump Media & Technology Group, the parent company of Trump’s social media platform, Truth Social.

She holds undergraduate and law degrees from Pepperdine University. As an undergraduate, she interned with the Republican National Committee and the White House Office of Political Affairs during former President George W. Bush’s second term.

Zacharia also served briefly as a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson from February to March 2026. She left the position after about six weeks, saying regular travel between California and Washington placed a strain on her family.

She is also a member of the board of advisers for the White Rose Resistance, an anti-abortion organization founded in 2022, the year the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, ending the constitutional right to abortion recognized under that ruling.

Trump Names Zacharia to Replace Karoline Leavitt

Trump’s announcement on Oct. 10 filled the vacancy left by Karoline Leavitt, who left the press secretary role in August to become an on-air contributor for Fox News. In announcing Zacharia’s appointment, Trump praised her political alignment and communications experience.

He wrote, “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.”

Zacharia thanked Trump for the appointment, calling it “the honor of a lifetime” and pledging to communicate the administration’s accomplishments to the public. Zacharia has also defended Trump’s decision to offer early access to his Truth Social posts for $100,000. Explaining the arrangement, she said, “They’re not getting insider trading information; they’re getting early access.”

She has also promoted Trump’s claims that the 2020 presidential election was stolen, according to published reports. Courts and election officials rejected numerous allegations of widespread election fraud, and no evidence established that fraud changed the outcome of the election.