Katie Zacharia made her debut as President Trump’s press secretary Tuesday, fielding questions from a briefing-room lectern that’s been relatively dormant since Karoline Leavitt left the post in August.
She also stepped into the role in the heat of the midterm campaign.
“I’m looking forward to working with each of you as well, especially as we are in the middle of a midterm blitz, with energy and excitement never seen before in the history of midterms, thanks to President Trump,” she told the White House press corps.
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Speaking slowly from prepared remarks, Ms. Zacharia outlined a series of Mr. Trump’s accomplishments, including slashing prescription drug prices and securing foreign investments.
Her first briefing was brief, clocking in at about 15 minutes. She said they had to run because Mr. Trump was traveling to Alaska.
The new press secretary took a few relatively friendly questions, though made news by saying Mr. Trump demanded Kimberly Guilfoyle’s resignation because of improper conduct as ambassador to Greece. Ms. Guilfoyle resigned soon after the briefing.
Ms. Zacharia spoke about her husband and four children, noting they planned to move to Washington from California.
“President Trump is the most family-friendly president we have ever had,” she said.
Some online commentators and television pundits panned her first appearance as far too short and awkwardly scripted.
The White House rallied to her defense in a statement that declared it “a commanding inaugural press briefing.”
Asked for his opinion, Mr. Trump said she “was very good.”
She will walk a tricky tightrope as Mr. Trump’s chief spokeswoman with the press. Mr. Trump craves the limelight, but he uses the press as a foil and says the mainstream media won’t give him a fair shake.
Mr. Trump recently banned CNN, MS NOW and Politico from White House grounds, though a court reversed the ban while litigation proceeds.
Ms. Zacharia is a conservative commentator who’s made frequent appearances on Fox News and briefly served as a spokeswoman for the Department of Homeland Security. She was a communications adviser for the Trump Media & Technology Group, which operates Truth Social, and general counsel and legal adviser for Fix California, a conservative advocacy group.
Ms. Zacharia replaced Ms. Leavitt, who served as press secretary from the start of Mr. Trump’s second term to August of this year. Ms. Leavitt’s last formal press briefing was July 23, and she addressed reporters for the last time in a White House driveway gaggle on Aug. 27.
White House press briefings have been rare since then, even as the GOP tries to sell its America First agenda of tax cuts, deregulation and investment in domestic manufacturing.
Vice President J.D. Vance appeared at the lectern on Sept. 3, and Attorney General Todd Blanche hosted a briefing on Sept. 15.
• Mary McCue Bell contributed to this report.
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