Washington D.C. – Katie Zacharia, the newly appointed White House Press Secretary, conducted her inaugural press briefing on Tuesday, just hours before departing with President Donald Trump on a trip to Alaska. Her debut at the podium quickly elicited a range of reactions, both public and private, from within the President's inner circle and beyond. The briefing, which lasted 14 minutes and included three questions, has sparked discussions regarding the administration's communications strategy and internal hiring processes.
"If the White House’s goal is to make Karoline Leavitt look talented by comparison, then Katie Zacharia did an excellent job." David Litt, Former Speechwriter for Barack Obama
President Donald Trump offered a succinct positive assessment of Zacharia's performance, telling reporters later in the day, "I thought she was very good." The White House press office described her performance as "commanding." Steven Cheung, a White House spokesperson, further praised Zacharia in comments to the Daily Mail, stating, "Katie is a fabulous and wonderful addition to the team. She is uniquely qualified and whip smart to help inform the American people about all the great things President Trump and his Administration have been doing, and she will do an incredible job as Press Secretary."
However, a different narrative emerged from several anonymous sources close to President Trump, who communicated their assessments to the Daily Mail via text messages. These sources offered critical reviews of Zacharia's first outing. One senior Trump communications official reportedly called the briefing "terrible on so many different levels," while a second official labeled it "embarrassing." A GOP communications expert responded with a single dumpster fire emoji. Sources claimed Zacharia stumbled over prepared remarks, stuttered through sentences, and at one point, referred to President Trump as her husband. A senior administration official suggested she should have remained at the podium longer, stating, "She should have gone on longer and had substantive answers ready. She could barely read."
Preparation for the briefing became a central point of contention among these anonymous officials. More than half a dozen Trump officials told the Daily Mail they suspected Zacharia entered the briefing room without adequate preparation. A "Trump world source" remarked, "She looked as if she was handed a sheet of paper at the last minute and wasn’t prepared properly. So who in the building wanted to see her fail?" Another White House insider expressed a more sympathetic view, noting, "Look, Katie has never done that before, and I think it’s insane for the press shop to just throw someone to the wolves like that."
During the briefing, Zacharia also made news herself by announcing that President Trump had asked Kimberly Guilfoyle to resign as ambassador to Greece, an announcement that reportedly caught the room off guard.
Zacharia's path to the press secretary role was notably swift. President Trump offered her the position after observing her defenses of him on Fox News and Newsmax. A post on Truth Social announced her hire three days later. The Daily Mail previously reported that this move occurred without consultation with Chief of Staff Susie Wiles and without any formal vetting process. President Trump was also reportedly unaware that Corey Lewandowski, an adviser to Kristi Noem who was ousted in March, had previously handpicked Zacharia as a Department of Homeland Security spokeswoman, a role she held for six weeks before departing in March.
Karoline Leavitt, 29, held the press secretary position before Zacharia and left ahead of the midterms. President Trump reportedly consulted Leavitt about Zacharia before making the hiring decision. A Trump world communications source described Leavitt as "widely regarded as the best press secretary in a decade," setting a high bar for her successor. This source added that Leavitt gained experience working alongside President Trump during his presidential campaign, an experience Zacharia lacks.
External observers also weighed in. David Litt, a former speechwriter for Barack Obama, commented to the Daily Mail, "If the White House’s goal is to make Karoline Leavitt look talented by comparison, then Katie Zacharia did an excellent job." A senior administration official offered a darker forecast, suggesting, "Her hiring and the briefing shows this White House is collapsing now that they’re facing real pressure. They have no idea who to hire. We’re entering wartime and they’re completely unequipped."
Conversely, some voices defended Zacharia's performance, acknowledging the inherent difficulties of the role. A former Biden administration official told the Daily Mail that the podium "is a contact sport and it’s live," crediting Zacharia for stepping up so early in her tenure. Sean Spicer, President Trump’s first-term press secretary, also expressed support. "Serving as press secretary is one of the most demanding and intense positions bar none," Spicer told the Daily Mail. "I practiced for my first briefing for weeks and still had a tough first outing. Katie jumped into the briefing room after 24 hours on the job and held her own." The White House insider who described Zacharia as a mother of four also called her "moldable and willing to grow," adding, "She’s running the show now so somebody had better start prepping her." Ultimately, one insider noted that only President Trump's opinion holds sway, recalling his removal of Anthony Scaramucci as White House communications director just ten days into the job in 2017.
