Katie Zacharia, Pepperdine graduate and Westlake Village resident, held her first White House press briefing on Wednesday
Katie Zacharia, a Los Angeles native, was named the new White House Press Secretary on Friday. She ran her first press conference on Tuesday, answering a few questions from the media before ending her first appearance at the lectern.
Zacharia grew up as an Angeleno before attending Pepperdine University for her undergraduate and law degrees. Recently serving as a conservative commentator for President Donald Trump’s media company that owns Truth Social, she took over from Karoline Leavitt, who left the role in August.
Zacharia spoke for only 14 minutes, responding to just three outlets before stepping down from the podium.
“In fact, I am going to end it because President Trump is heading out to Marine One for our historic trip to Alaska, and we can ask him all of the questions out there,” she said.
Zacharia currently resides in Westlake Village with her husband, Tyler Zacharia, and their four children.
Zacharia’s goal in her new position is “to amplify, multiply and expand upon President Trump’s incredible agenda for the American people,” as she told the press corps. She praised Trump, saying she “wanted to work for him for a very long time.”
Have questions? Get answers.
Scroll to continue reading
Relying heavily on her prepared remarks, Zacharia stumbled over some wording during her first appearance. She mixed up the words “husband” and “president,” causing imminent backlash on social media. Joe Biden’s former press secretary, Jen Psaki, posted on X: “Well that briefing was basically an SNL skit….except it wasnt.”
The most significant news she announced was that Trump called for the resignation of Kimberly Guilfoyle, the U.S. ambassador to Greece, following allegations of her engaging in illegal activities in Athens.
Controversy arose Wednesday after a nonprofit called to investigate the legitimacy of Zacharia as a licensed attorney. Campaign for Accountability (CfA) filed a formal complaint with the State Bar of California, following news reports questioning whether she had ever passed a bar exam or received a license to practice law.
After her first press briefing, a reporter asked where she passed the bar exam. She responded, “when I moved to China,” before her voice was muffled by Marine One.
The White House has not provided evidence that Zacharia is a licensed lawyer in the United States. However, an official statement maintained that she practiced in China, specializing in “international transactional law, with all the appropriate credentials.”
Going forward, as White House Press Secretary, Zacharia will hold press briefings on a regular weekday basis.