Katie Zacharia Delivers Cringe-Inducing First White House Press Briefing
on • Updated
Katie Zacharia hit the ground running on Tuesday, Oct. 13, giving her first press conference as White House press secretary.
But how did she do?
Just a few days earlier, on Friday, Oct. 9, President Donald Trump announced that Zacharia had been selected as the new press secretary, taking over the role that Karoline Leavitt vacated back in Aug. 27.
With her first day formally on the job being on Columbus Day, on Oct. 12, she continued the standard press conference schedule by holding her first presser on a Tuesday.
Altogether, her first press conference lasted just over 14 minutes, and it only saw her take questions from four members of the media.
How she did ultimately depends on who you ask…
When Trump was asked about Zacharia’s first press briefing as he boarded Marine One on Oct. 13, he said, “She was excellent — I thought she was very good.”
Trump’s opinion, in this case, is an outlier.
The question was followed up by an inquiry regarding where Zacharia passed the bar, as she has said that she was a lawyer for some time. Trump even announced her selection as the new press secretary on Oct. 9, citing her experience as an attorney.
Trump then turned to Zacharia and asked, to which she simply replied, “When I moved to China.”
Since then, a complaint has been filed against Zacharia in the state of California alleging she has committed a crime.
Watch Trump respond to what he thought of Zacharia’s first press briefing, as well as the interaction regarding her experience as a lawyer, here:
President Trump on White House Press Secretary Katie Zacharia: "I thought she was very good." Q: "You said she’s an attorney. Where did she pass the bar exam? Which state?" Zacharia: "When I moved to China." Q: "Where did you pass the bar exam?" https://t.co/5xiwyEsVSs
— CSPAN (@cspan) October 13, 2026
RELATED: Trump Administration Issues $500 Refund Checks… And More Money Could Be On The Way
See Katie Zacharia’s First Press Briefing As Spokesperson For The Trump White House… And Learn The Nickname She Earned From Jimmy Kimmel
Katie Zacharia’s demeanor at her Oct. 13 press briefing has been the subject of much discussion online, with some praising her can-do spirit while others have taken issue with her stumbling over her words.
In some objective ways, Zacharia’s reliance upon pre-prepared statements and notes was less like her immediate predecessor, Leavitt, and more like the final press secretary of the Biden administration, Karine Jean-Pierre, who was known for toting a binder full of notes.
Leavitt had said back in 2025 on the Fox News morning program Fox and Friends before delivering her first press briefing, “I might bring some notes with me, but my binder is in my brain because I know President Trump’s policies, and we have truth on our side at this White House.”
Beyond using notes, Zacharia was visibly nervous, even as she read from her written opening statement.
Zacharia opened her first press briefing by declaring, while looking down at her notes, “I am so honored to work for President Trump and the American people as the new White House press secretary. I want to thank President Trump for his trust that he has placed in me. I have wanted to work for him for a very long time.”
See one example of an awkward moment from her press briefing, here (the full video is further below):
Trump’s new White House Press Secretary Katie Zacharia is completely lost for words and fumbling on her first day as she reads off a script https://t.co/58fMuVbvDg
— Headquarters (@HQNewsNow) October 13, 2026
Taking questions, she did well responding when the question was about herself, but admitted she would have to follow-up on some questions (or “circle back” to them, as the other Biden-era press secretary, Jen Psaki, popularized).
Zacharia even deferred to the president regarding a question before awkwardly ending the press briefing and leaving the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room as reports sought answers to additional questions.
Providing commentary on Fox News, Kayleigh McEnany, who was one of Trump’s White House press secretaries during his first term in office, said, “She began her job yesterday, she did this briefing today, about 24 hours into the job, so she gave herself very little runway before making it out to the podium.”
McEnany added, “Kudos to her for coming out and just saying, ‘I’m gonna do a press briefing, I’m going to do it in 24 hours, and I’m going to drop the mic.'”
The “mic drop” McEnany referred to was a moment of significant breaking news that did come from Zacharia’s first press briefing.
When asked about allegations made against the Ambassador of the United States to Greece, Kimberly Guilfoyle (who was once engaged to Donald Trump Jr. and is the ex-wife of California Gov. Gavin Newsom), alleging she had sought money to pay off a $100,000 credit card bill, Zacharia announced that President Trump had requested Guilfoyle’s resignation.
Just over an hour after the press conference, Guilfoyle announced on X, formerly Twitter, that she was leaving her post as ambassador. In her statement, Guilfoyle denied allegations made against her, and expressed her continued support of Trump and his America First policies.
See Guilfoyle’s full resignation post, here:
Serving as the United States Ambassador to Greece has been the honor of a lifetime. I will forever be grateful to President Donald J. Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio for entrusting me with the extraordinary privilege of representing the greatest country in the history of the world. From my first day as Ambassador, I have worked tirelessly to advance President Trump’s America First agenda, strengthen our strategic alliance with Greece, and deliver meaningful victories for the American people. During my tenure, we have helped secure historic agreements to expand American liquefied natural gas exports to Europe, advanced the Vertical Corridor to reduce Europe’s dependence on Russian energy, strengthened our defense and security partnership with a critical NATO ally, and expanded opportunities for American businesses and investment throughout the region. I am especially proud of the role our Embassy has played in strengthening American energy dominance, advancing economic cooperation, and ensuring that the United States remains the indispensable leader in Southeast Europe. These accomplishments are a testament to President Trump’s bold leadership, Secretary Rubio’s commitment to American diplomacy, and the extraordinary men and women who serve our country every day. I also want to address the recent allegations against me. These allegations are false, and I intend to vigorously defend my name, my reputation, and my integrity. I have dedicated my professional life to fighting for justice, standing up for what is right, and defending the values that make America exceptional. I will not allow false accusations to define my decades of public service. My gratitude and respect for President Trump and Secretary Rubio remain unwavering. I am proud of what we accomplished together, and I will always be a loyal supporter of President Trump and his mission to Make America Great Again. While my time as Ambassador may be coming to an end, my commitment to President Trump, the America First movement, and the country I love will never end. It has been the honor of my lifetime to serve the United States of America. My deepest heartfelt appreciation to the people of Greece for their hospitality, partnership, and welcoming me with open arms. God bless President Trump, God bless our incredible diplomats and service members, and God bless the United States of America.
— Kimberly Guilfoyle (@kimguilfoyle) October 13, 2026
Decide for yourself on how Katie Zacharia did at her first press conference by watching it, in full, here:
Late night talk show hosts, like Jimmy Kimmel, took the new press secretary’s demeanor to task, with Kimmel joking that “it was the first day of kindergarten for the new White House press secretary.”
Kimmel went on to give Zacharia a nickname, calling her “Malibu Katie,” and he went on to criticize her reliance upon her notes, saying, “Her reading is good for an 11-year-old.”
Even news outlets like MS Now questioned Zacharia’s qualifications for the role after her first press briefing, with an opinion article arguing that her “first press conference proved there’s no meritocracy in Trump’s White House.”
Watch Kimmel’s full monologue, here:
RELATED: House Dodges Votes On Articles Of Impeachment Against President Trump And Sec. Of War Hegseth
