Normally, the White House Press Secretary would be selected because they’re the most quick-witted, informed, and diplomatic applicant for the job. However, at this stage in the Trump administration, these don’t seem to be the necessary qualifications.
For almost two years, Karoline Leavitt served as the chief spokesperson for the U.S. Leavitt gained a reputation of being a sharp and fierce speaker. She was an undyingly loyal supporter of President Trump, and that certainly came across during her briefings and speeches.
Unfortunately for the current administration, Leavitt resigned from her role this past August to prioritize her two children. There was a massive void to be filled without her unique temperament.
It took nearly two months to acquire a new press secretary. In the end, Trump selected Katie Zacharia, a former commentator for news stations like Fox and Newsmax, for the role. Despite her social media communications background, Zacharia failed to display the journalistic and political skills that many former spokespeople have had.
Ignoring her lack of experience and abilities, Trump instated Zacharia on October 9, 2026. In her first public appearance as press secretary, Zacharia spoke very highly of the President, which appeared to be a promising start for the administration.
Yet it’s difficult to determine what the start of her briefing was even about. The total event lasted approximately 14 minutes, making it one of the shortest briefings in history. Zacharia was only able to answer a total of three questions during her time with the press.
As if this rocky start wasn’t enough, the short-lived press secretary was also found to be fraudulent. After claims of her experience as a lawyer, people became curious as to her specific experience and qualifications. Following concerns about her lawyer status, it appeared that no one was quite able to determine the legitimacy of her claim, as there are no records to indicate that Zacharia holds the title of a lawyer in any jurisdiction in the U.S. When asked about where she passed the bar exam, her only response was “during [her] time in China.”
Shortly following this fiasco of an introduction, Zacharia was forced to step down from her newly earned role. As the Trump administration scrambles to find yet another replacement for press secretary this year, they will certainly be more inquisitive this time around.
It’s even more essential that American citizens remain well-informed on the facts of our politics, now that it seems we can’t rely on a spokesperson to do that educating for us.
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