Trump taps Kristi Noem's ex mouthpiece Katie Zacharia to replace Karoline Leavitt for White House press secretary

Read the original at Daily Mail ↗
Daily Mail · collected 2026-10-09 · by Phillip Nieto

Quick Summary

Donald Trump appointed Katie Zacharia as White House press secretary to replace Karoline Leavitt, who resigned at the end of August. Zacharia previously worked as a spokesperson for Homeland Security under Kristi Noem but left after six weeks in March. She has been serving as a communications adviser to Trump Media and Technology Group since then. The New York Times reported on her selection for the role.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-09, using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the same event (that is the story summary below).

AI analysis runs on qwen2.5:14b, locally

Story summary

Donald Trump has chosen Katie Zacharia, a conservative commentator and former Department of Homeland Security spokesperson, to be the new White House press secretary. This follows the resignation of Karoline Leavitt in late August when she left to spend more time with her two young children after giving birth to her second child. Zacharia currently works as a communications adviser for Trump Media & Technology Group, which owns Truth Social, Trump's social media platform. The role has been vacant since early September, and it is not yet clear if Zacharia has officially accepted the position.

Written for “Trump Picks Zacharia Press Secretary” on 2026-10-09, grounded in this article and the 10 other(s) covering the same event.
Why this leaning score
The article's own words the score was based on. Each is quoted verbatim and was checked against the article text before being stored, so you can find it in the original.
Reading Leans right (beta estimate) Confidence high
Leaning: leans right for article 69087 (high confidence, 2 verified quotes) · logged 2026-10-09

Signals How these are calculated →

Claims extracted
5
claim-shaped sentences
Uncertain
20%
1 of 5 hedged
Leaning
Leans right
of the writing, not the subject · beta estimate
Correction & hedging signals
64.5
corrections and hedging in what we collected; not a measure of accuracy
Outlets on this story
11
Politics
Narrative spread
1
articles carrying this framing
Analyzed 2026-10-09 · how these are computed

Story

📰 Trump Picks Zacharia Press Secretary
Politics · 11 article(s) covering the same event. See how they differ ↓

How this is being covered How these are calculated →

Article leaning vs. publisher reliability
Source leaning vs. consistency

Compared with similar articles

This article reads leans right and hedges 20% of its claims. Each row says how that neighbour differs.
Commentator Katie Zacharia picked as new White House press secretary same event · 100%
BBC News · 0.91 cosine similarity
⚖️ Leans right 🔴 22% hedged 2 of 9 📰 publisher trust 72
“Both articles describe Donald Trump appointing Katie Zacharia as the new White House press secretary on the same date, with consistent details about her background and previous role.”
Who is Katie Zacharia, Trump’s next White House press secretary? same event · 100%
Washington Examiner · 0.90 cosine similarity
⚖️ Leans right 🔴 14% hedged 3 of 21 📰 publisher trust 69
“Both articles report on Donald Trump appointing Katie Zacharia as the new White House press secretary, succeeding Karoline Leavitt, on the same date.”
Katie Zacharia ‘offered’ position as White House press secretary same event · 100%
Al Jazeera · 0.88 cosine similarity
⚖️ Centre further left than this 🔴 0% hedged 0 of 4 📰 publisher trust 60
“Both articles report on Katie Zacharia being selected as the new White House press secretary to replace Karoline Leavitt, citing the same date and context.”
Trump picks conservative commentator Katie Zacharia to be next press secretary same event · 100%
The Guardian · 0.88 cosine similarity
⚖️ leaning not scored 🔴 20% hedged 1 of 5 📰 publisher trust 68
“Both articles report on Donald Trump's selection of Katie Zacharia to be the next White House press secretary, replacing Karoline Leavitt.”
Trump has picked a replacement for White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt same event · 100%
The Independent · 0.86 cosine similarity
⚖️ Leans right 🔴 8% hedged 1 of 12 📰 publisher trust 59
“Both articles report on Donald Trump appointing Katie Zacharia as the new White House Press Secretary to replace Karoline Leavitt, with identical timing and context.”
Katie Zacharia offered White House press secretary job same event · 100%
ABC News (US)
⚖️ leaning not scored 🔴 0% hedged 0 of 4 📰 publisher trust 59
“Both articles report on Katie Zacharia being named as the new White House press secretary to replace Karoline Leavitt, indicating they describe the same appointment.”
White House Taps Katie Zacharia to Replace Karoline Leavitt as Press Secretary same event · 95%
TIME · 0.93 cosine similarity
⚖️ Leans right 🔴 20% hedged 1 of 5 📰 publisher trust 60
“Both articles report on Donald Trump naming Katie Zacharia as White House press secretary to replace Karoline Leavitt, with identical timing and details.”
Trump picks Katie Zacharia as next White House press secretary same event · 95%
CBS News · 0.89 cosine similarity
⚖️ leaning not scored 🔴 14% hedged 2 of 14 📰 publisher trust 66
“Both articles report on Trump appointing Katie Zacharia as the new White House press secretary, citing her background and recent vacancy.”
Former Truth Social communications adviser offered White House press secretary role same event · 95%
ABC News (AU) · 0.89 cosine similarity
⚖️ leaning not scored 🔴 0% hedged 0 of 3 📰 publisher trust 61
“Both articles report on the appointment of Katie Zacharia as the new White House press secretary, replacing Karoline Leavitt.”
Katie Zacharia offered role as White House Press Secretary same event · 95%
Fox News · 0.88 cosine similarity
⚖️ leaning not scored 🔴 0% hedged 0 of 5 📰 publisher trust 70
“Both articles report on Katie Zacharia being named as the new White House Press Secretary to replace Karoline Leavitt, indicating the same specific hiring decision.”

Publisher

Daily Mail · 4625 article(s) · 13 correction(s) detected
Running correction rate · 13 correction(s)
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Clarifications and corrections

Who wrote this

Phillip Nieto
13 article(s) here · 0 carrying a prediction
🔮 The UN human rights office said on Friday that broadcasting the killing ‘is tantamount to a public execution and would breach the absolute prohibition of torture.’
2026-10-09 · assertive framing · Pete Hegseth accused of violating international law and compared to ISIS over Fort Hood killer's livestreamed execution
🔮 The White House has asked the Pentagon to draw up options for fresh strikes on Iran that could be launched before next month's midterms, two administration officials told The Atlantic.
2026-10-08 · mixed framing · Trump weighs unleashing fresh strikes on Iran BEFORE midterms - sending oil prices skyrocketing
🔮 - Sign up HERE to our DC Insider newsletter - your guide to what's rocking Washington, rattling the White House and setting tongues wagging on the Hill Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent once grew so enraged over the way his daily briefing book was laid out that he grabbed the binder and hurled it at a wall, according to people familiar with the episode. In January, he tore into his undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence, John Hurley, unleashing a profanity-laced tirade in front of aides that staff working nearby could hear.
2026-10-07 · mixed framing · Scott Bessent's volcanic temper laid bare: Trump's money man hurled binder at wall and screamed profanities at deputy as SEVEN top officials exit
🔮 Forecasters moved it from solid Republican in May to a toss-up in August, and the last public polls showed him trailing his Democratic opponent.
2026-10-05 · assertive framing · Watch shocking new video of Trump-backed congressman Max Miller: Leaked footage of vulgar display... as photos of his girlfriend's lewd shirt cause storm
🔮 ' 'And pneumonia, you know, years ago you could treat pneumonia easier,' he added.
2026-10-05 · mixed framing · Trump offers Putin lifeline as Russia scrambles to contain deadly airborne plague after lab worker's death
🔮 The timing could hardly be worse as new polling shows the race tightening in the deep red state.
2026-10-05 · mixed framing · Ken Paxton caught in ANOTHER leaked hot mic moment as Trump's midterm nightmare goes from bad to worse
🔮 GOP insiders, meanwhile, privately fear that the rising energy costs caused by the president's war could cost Republicans their majorities in the House and Senate during the midterm election.
2026-10-01 · assertive framing · Red-state panic as Trump scrambles to defend TEN strongholds he won in landslides - and Democrats seize lead in shock state
🔮 - Sign up HERE to our DC Insider newsletter - your guide to what's rocking Washington, rattling the White House and setting tongues wagging on the Hill Donald Trump erupted at TIME reporters in a profanity-laced Oval Office tirade, complaining they had not asked him 'one f***ing positive question' during an hour-long sit-down. The blow-up came near the end of the interview, after he was pressed on whether he would pardon members of his administration before leaving office.
2026-10-01 · assertive framing · Trump loses it in X-rated Oval Office rant at TIME reporters as president turns on his own Supreme Court picks and makes telling admission about gas prices
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2026-09-29 · mixed framing · Trump greenlights chilling backdoor deal with Putin that risks enraging Ukraine and GOP allies
Also by Phillip Nieto
Pete Hegseth accused of violating international law and compared to ISIS over Fort Hood killer's livestreamed execution
2026-10-09 · Daily Mail
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2026-10-08 · Daily Mail
Scott Bessent's volcanic temper laid bare: Trump's money man hurled binder at wall and screamed profanities at deputy as SEVEN top officials exit
2026-10-07 · Daily Mail
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2026-10-05 · Daily Mail
Nothing else under this byline is closely related to this article, so these are simply their most recent.
All 13 articles by Phillip Nieto →

Topics

DC Insider Hill Homeland Security Washington the White House

Subjects

Zacharia PERSON · 2× DC Insider ORG · 1× Donald Trump PERSON · 1× Hill PERSON · 1× Homeland Security ORG · 1× Katie Zacharia PERSON · 1× Kristi Noem PERSON · 1× Washington GPE · 1× White House ORG · 1× the White House ORG · 1×

Narrative

- Sign up HERE to our DC Insider newsletter - your guide to what's rocking Washington, rattling the White House and setting tongues wagging on the Hill Donald Trump has named conservative commentator Katie Zacharia, a former Homeland Security spokesperson under Kristi Noem, as White House press secretary, filling the post left vacant by Karoline Leavitt’s resignation. Zacharia, a lawyer and frequent guest on Fox News and Newsmax, lasted just six weeks as a DHS spokeswoman earlier this year before abruptly walking out of the job in March.
framing: assertive · carried by 1 article(s) · first seen 2026-10-09
2026-10-09 · Daily Mail
Trump taps Kristi Noem's ex mouthpiece Katie Zacharia to replace Karoline Leavitt for White House press secretary · assertive framing

Claims (5 extracted, 1 hedged)

- Sign up HERE to our DC Insider newsletter - your guide to what's rocking Washington, rattling the White House and setting tongues wagging on the Hill Donald Trump has named conservative commentator Katie Zacharia, a former Homeland Security spokesperson under Kristi Noem, as White House press secretary, filling the post left vacant by Karoline Leavitt’s resignation. Zacharia, a lawyer and frequent guest on Fox News and Newsmax, lasted just six weeks as a DHS spokeswoman earlier this year before abruptly walking out of the job in March. asserted
Zacharia → sign → March
She has since been working as a communications adviser to Trump Media and Technology Group, the company behind Truth Social, and was picked for the podium, according to The New York Times. uncertain
She → work → Times
Leavitt quit at the end of August to spend more time with her two young children, leaving the briefing room without a permanent face for more than a month. asserted
Leavitt → quit → month
Before her name surfaced, a long list of MAGA-friendly media figures had been floated for the job, among them CNN commentator Scott Jennings, ex-Fox Business host Maria Bartiromo, and former Trump lawyer Alina Habba. asserted
list → surface → them
The Daily Mail has contacted Zacharia for comment. asserted
Mail → contact → comment
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