President Trump picks conservative commentator Katie Zacharia to fill White House press secretary post vacant since August

What happened

President Trump announced on Friday that conservative commentator Katie Zacharia will serve as the next White House press secretary, CBS News reported. In a post on Truth Social, the president praised what he called her "unblemished record of support." The New York Times was first to report that Zacharia had been offered the job, according to CBS News.

"She has an unblemished record of support, and has been a loyal and brilliant supporter, right from the beginning," Trump wrote, as quoted by CBS News. He also said he was confident she would work well with the media, the public and his administration, and he wished her luck.

Who is Katie Zacharia

Government and campaign experience

Zacharia briefly worked as a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security earlier this year, CBS News reported. She currently works as a senior communications adviser for Truth Social, the president's social media site. The president said she also assisted him on the campaign trail.

Education and background

Zacharia is a California native who still lives in the state. According to her LinkedIn, as cited by CBS News, she earned both her undergraduate degree and her law degree at Pepperdine University in Malibu.

A New York Post op-ed

Earlier this year, Zacharia wrote an op-ed for the New York Post about wearing a "Make America Great Again" hat to her local gym, CBS News reported. She wrote that the gym's owner eventually asked her to stop wearing it. "I responded that I would never take my Trump hat off to appease the left," she wrote.

In the same piece she argued, "The First Amendment has no 'discomfort' clause." CBS News noted that the First Amendment protects against government censorship of speech. It does not cover private businesses.

A vacant post and a quiet briefing room

The press secretary job has been open since Karoline Leavitt left in late August, according to CBS News. The White House James S. Brady Press Briefing Room has not hosted a briefing for the press since Sept. 3.

On that date, Vice President JD Vance addressed reporters and took their questions, CBS News reported. The outlet said no briefing has been held in the room since then. For more coverage of the federal government and politics, see our national news section.

What Zacharia said

In her own social media post, Zacharia said "serving President Trump and the American people at this critical 250-year mark is the honor of a lifetime." She described the work ahead as continuing to deliver results for the country. She also said she would tell the public about what she called the administration's major wins.

Zacharia said she looks forward to working with the White House press corps and with reporters across the country. She also mentioned her predecessor directly: "Following the fabulous Karoline Leavitt is a high standard, and one worth meeting."

What to watch next

• When Zacharia formally takes over as press secretary. CBS News did not report a start date.
• Whether briefings resume in the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room, which has not hosted one since Sept. 3, according to CBS News.
• How Zacharia works with the White House press corps and reporters across the country, which she said she looks forward to doing.