President Donald Trump gave Katie Zacharia a positive review following her first White House press briefing Tuesday, praising her performance before departing Washington for a campaign rally in Alaska.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
President Donald Trump praised newly appointed White House press secretary Katie Zacharia on Tuesday, October 13, following her first official briefing, expressing satisfaction with her performance as she assumed one of the administration’s most visible communications positions.
Speaking to reporters outside the White House before traveling to Alaska to campaign for Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan, Trump was asked how he thought Zacharia handled her first appearance behind the briefing room podium.
“I thought she was very good,” Trump said. “I thought she was very good.”
Zacharia, who was appointed Friday to replace former press secretary Karoline Leavitt, held her inaugural briefing Tuesday morning in the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room. The session lasted approximately 14 minutes, considerably shorter than many traditional White House briefings.
According to Associated Press coverage of her debut, Zacharia opened with prepared remarks highlighting Trump’s political agenda, including energy production, immigration enforcement, tariffs and the upcoming November 3 midterm elections.
She described her responsibility as amplifying the president’s message and emphasized that Trump remains his administration’s most effective communicator.
The briefing included questions from three news organizations before Zacharia concluded the session, explaining that the president would soon be available to reporters as he departed for Alaska.
Her limited question-and-answer session drew mixed reactions, with some observers questioning whether future briefings would provide sufficient opportunities for journalists to question the administration.
Zacharia also delivered a significant personnel announcement, confirming that the White House had requested the resignation of U.S. Ambassador to Greece Kimberly Guilfoyle amid allegations of improper conduct.
Guilfoyle subsequently acknowledged that her tenure was ending while denying the allegations and pledging to defend her reputation.
Before becoming press secretary, Zacharia worked as a conservative political commentator and served in communications roles connected to Trump’s administration and his social media company. She previously worked as a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson.
Her appointment followed Leavitt’s departure from the White House earlier this year.
Trump’s positive assessment came as he headed to Alaska to support Sullivan’s reelection campaign, where the Republican incumbent faces a challenge from former Democratic Rep. Mary Peltola.
With the midterm elections approaching, Zacharia will be responsible for representing the administration’s positions on domestic and foreign policy while responding to questions from the White House press corps.
Tuesday’s appearance marked the beginning of that responsibility, with Trump publicly signaling his approval of her performance despite criticism of the briefing’s brevity.
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