With Kitty Zachariah's White House briefing debut, Trump's new press secretary faces first major test
Kitty Pfeiffer is set to make her first appearance at the White House press briefing room on Tuesday, ending a lengthy week without a permanent press secretary at the podium.
As White House spokesperson, Katie Zacharia talks about diesel, the midterms and future plans.
Newly appointed White House press secretary Kathy Zacharias discusses President Donald Trump's deal to import Russian diesel, Trump's midterm campaign efforts and her future plans as White House press secretary. Zakaria says his job is about "the American people."
The White House is set to end a week without a permanent press secretary on Tuesday with Kathy Zacharia in its briefing room, replacing Carolyn Leavitt following a shakeup in President Donald Trump's communications team.
"I am pleased to announce that Katie Zacharias will begin her duties as Press Secretary tomorrow, Columbus Day, and will hold an introductory news conference on Tuesday at 9:30 a.m. from the White House Press Conference Room. Katie has been with me from the beginning and will do a wonderful job." Trump said social truth on Sunday.
Zakaria, a lawyer and television commentator, served as senior communications adviser for the Trump Media and Technology Group, which runs the president's social media platform, Truth Social. His appointment came after Leavitt left the White House in August.
President Donald Trump had four White House press secretaries during his first administration: Sean Spicer, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, Stephanie Grisham and Kelly McEnany.
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Katie Zacharia was chosen as the new White House press secretary. (Barry Morgenstein)
Leavitt served as the first press secretary of Trump's second administration for 19 months before leaving the post on August 27.
Zakaria previously served as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs and Spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security.
"President Trump has heard that people are frustrated with gas prices. People are frustrated with rising food prices. And he's offering what he always does, which is a solution," Zakaria said.
Kathy Zacharia Goes Down, Promises to Offer Americans Cheaper Trump Diesel Deal
He celebrated the appointment on Friday, thanking Trump for what he called the "distinguished privilege" of serving as White House press secretary.
"Serving President Trump and the American people in this critical 250-year period is the honor of a lifetime," Zakaria wrote. President Trump has shown America that we can be great again, and he strives to enact that greatness every day. "His trust is a real privilege and his leadership is a blessing to this country."
He wrote: "The work ahead is to continue to deliver strong results for our country and to inform the American people of the important victories that this administration achieves every day." I look forward to working with the White House press corps and with reporters across the country to support this goal," he added.
He also acknowledged the expectations surrounding Leavitt's successor.
"Caroline Leavitt's following is of an incredibly high standard and well worth meeting," wrote Zacharias.
Since Leavitt's departure, the White House has held a limited number of press conferences and news conferences led by senior administration officials, including Vice President JD Vance and Attorney General Todd Blanch.
The White House tapped a rotating lineup of senior Trump administration officials to lead press briefings while Leavitt was on maternity leave over the summer.
"Anyone who hasn't met him yet quickly realizes that he's a genuinely kind person who works well with the Corps, unlike the first press secretary who was sometimes seen as an angry leper," Spicer added, mockingly.
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