Katie Zacharia is Trump's new press secretary, replacing Karoline Leavitt. Meet the 6 he's had over both his terms.
The three most recent White House press secretaries, from left to right: Kayleigh McEnany, Karoline Leavitt, and Katie Zacharia. ; Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images ; President Donald Trump has had six White House press secretaries across his two presidential terms. Sean Spicer, Stephanie Grisham, and Kayleigh McEnany held the role for less than a year. Katie Zacharia is the new White House press secretary, taking over for Karoline Leavitt. There's a new face at the White House podium. Katie Zacharia held her first briefing as the new White House press secretary on Tuesday after President Donald Trump chose her to succeed Karoline Leavitt, who left the White House in August to spend more time with her young children. Zacharia is the sixth White House press secretary Trump has hired across his two non-consecutive presidential terms. Three of them served for less than a year. It's not unusual for presidents to go through several press secretaries due to the demanding nature of the role. President Barack Obama had three press secretaries during his two terms in office. Former presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush had four. Here's a look at all of the White House press secretaries who have represented the Trump administration. Sean Spicer WASHINGTON, DC - APRIL 24: White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer talks to reporters during the daily press briefing at the White House April 24, 2017 in Washington, DC. Spicer was joined during the briefing by U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin. Sean Spicer's time as White House press secretary spanned 182 days — the shortest tenure of all of Trump's press secretaries. After leaving the White House, he appeared on season 28 of "Dancing with the Stars." He now serves as a political contributor at NewsNation and hosts several podcasts, including "Full Court Press with Sean Spicer" and "The Sean Spicer Show." Sarah Huckabee Sanders White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders speaks during a press briefing at the White House in Washington, DC, March 11, 2019. During Trump's first term, Sanders served as White House press secretary for just under two years, from July 2017 to July 2019. In the final months of her tenure, Sanders largely stopped holding formal White House press briefings. Sanders is the daughter of former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, who now serves as the US ambassador to Israel in the second Trump administration. After her time as press secretary, Sanders was elected governor of Arkansas in 2022. She is running for reelection in the 2026 midterms. Stephanie Grisham White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham listens as US President Donald Trump speaks to the media aboard Air Force One while flying between El Paso, Texas and Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, August 7, 2019. credit Grisham served as White House press secretary for less than a year, from July 2019 to April 2020. Throughout her tenure, she did not hold a traditional press briefing. Grisham went on to become Melania Trump's White House chief of staff, then resigned from the role following the January 6, 2021 insurrection. She has since become a vocal critic of Trump and spoke about her time working in the Trump administration at the 2024 Democratic National Convention. Kayleigh McEnany WASHINGTON, DC - OCTOBER 1: White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany, speaks during a press briefing in the Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House, on Thursday, October 1, 2020, in Washington, DC. (Photo by Oliver Contreras/For The Washington Post via Getty Images) Oliver Contreras/For The Washington Post via Getty Images McEnany served as Trump's 2020 campaign press secretary before Trump chose her to replace Grisham as White House press secretary. She held the role for less than a year, from April 2020 until Trump left office in January 2021. McEnany resumed formal White House press briefings after Grisham's tenure. McEnany now hosts "Saturday in America with Kayleigh McEnany" on Fox News, and co-hosts another Fox News show, "Outnumbered." Karoline Leavitt White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt speaks during a press briefing at the White House in Washington, D.C., the United States, on Jan. 15, 2026. U.S. President Donald Trump is keeping all options on the table for responding to Iran's unrest, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Thursday. (Photo by Li Yuanqing/Xinhua via Getty Images) Li Yuanqing/Xinhua via Getty Images Leavitt served as White House press secretary from January 2025 to August 2026. At 27 years old, when she started the role, she was the youngest person ever to hold the position. Leavitt established a "new media seat" in the White House briefing room, highlighting podcasters, independent journalists, social media influencers, and other non-legacy media sources. She was also the first-ever pregnant White House press secretary, and gave birth to her second child while in the role. Leavitt resigned shortly after returning from parental leave, citing her desire to spend more time with her family. She will begin working as an on-air contributor for Fox News starting November 1. Katie Zacharia UNITED STATES - OCTOBER 13: White House Press Secretary Katie Zacharia conducts her first briefing where she addressed issues including the resignation of Kimberly Guilfoyle, U.S. ambassador to Greece, on Tuesday, October 13, 2026. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images) Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images Trump named Zacharia as Leavitt's successor, writing in a Truth Social post on October 9 that Zacharia "has an unblemished record of support, and has been a loyal and brilliant supporter, right from the beginning," and calling her "a devoted fan and member of MAGA." She held her first briefing on Tuesday. She previously worked as a senior communications advisor at Trump Media and Technology Group, which runs Truth Social. When reached for comment, the White House referred Business Insider to White House communications director Steven Cheung's previous statement calling Zacharia "a fabulous and wonderful addition to the team." "She is uniquely qualified and whip-smart to help inform the American people about all the great things President Trump and his administration have been doing, and she will do an incredible job as press secretary," Cheung said. Read the original article on Business Insider
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