Katie Zacharia’s Career: From DHS Communications to Trump’s White House Press Secretary

President Donald Trump has confirmed Katie Zacharia’s appointment as White House press secretary. The lawyer and conservative commentator will be taking charge of the administration’s communications with journalists, succeeding Karoline Leavitt, who left the role in August.

Zacharia is a senior communications adviser to Trump Media & Technology Group, which operates Truth Social, and appears on Fox News. She has also worked in Republican politics, government communications and conservative advocacy. Zacharia spent about three months at the Department of Homeland Security in early 2026, leaving after Markwayne Mullin became secretary. She later worked with Fix California, a conservative group founded by Trump special envoy Ric Grenell that promotes conservative policies.

Career and Political Connections

Zacharia has a background in law and Republican politics. She interned with the Republican National Committee while in college and later worked in the White House Office of Political Affairs during former President George W. Bush’s second term.

She studied at Pepperdine University in California and earned a law degree before taking on legal and nonprofit roles. Her professional experience also includes work in Beijing, China, where she was involved in the legal sector and an organization supporting children of migrant workers.

Her brief tenure at DHS began in early 2026. During her time at the department, she was reportedly close to then-Secretary Kristi Noem and her special adviser, Corey Lewandowski.

Her appointment could attract attention because of the reported long-standing tensions between Lewandowski and Grenell and White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles. The relationships could become a point of interest as Zacharia takes on a prominent role in the administration’s communications operation.

She previously told Just the News that the lengthy commute from California had strained her family, prompting her departure from DHS.

Husband and Four Children

Zacharia is married to Tyler Zacharia, a film producer who has served as an executive producer on several projects, including The Irishman (2019), Countdown (2019) and Roofman (2025), according to IMDb.

The couple married in May 2011 and have four children: three sons and one daughter. The family lives in California.

Taking Over From Karoline Leavitt

Leavitt left the White House press secretary position at the end of August after deciding that the demands of the job made it difficult to balance her professional responsibilities with raising her two young children. She had returned to work following the birth of her second child in May.

At 28, Leavitt became the youngest person to serve as White House press secretary when she took office in January 2025. Before joining the administration, she served as national press secretary for Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign and worked in communications during his first term.

Her departure opened the way for a change in the White House communications team. She subsequently secured a role as an on-air contributor at Fox News, with the network announcing on October 5 that she would begin in the position on November 1.

Zacharia now takes on the responsibility of communicating the administration’s positions, answering questions from reporters and explaining Trump’s policies on domestic and international affairs. Her experience in government communications, conservative advocacy and television commentary will form the basis of her work in one of Washington’s most visible media-facing positions.