Katie Zacharia (née Black; born 1984 or 1985) is an American political commentator and attorney who has served as the White House press secretary since 2026.
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Early life and education
Katie Black was born in 1984 or 1985. She attended Pepperdine University, graduating from its liberal arts college in 2007 and from its law school in 2011. At Pepperdine, she served as the president of its chapter of College Republicans. Zacharia interned for the Republican National Committee in 2006. She served as an assistant to Pepperdine's president, Andrew K. Benton, from 2007 to 2008 and was a research assistant to Jim Gash.
Career
After graduating from Pepperdine University, Zacharia spent three years in Beijing, China; where she worked as an outside counsel for the World Bank Group. She served as president of the Christian Legal Society and worked in the White House Office of Political Affairs during the George W. Bush administration. She served as a political commentator for Newsmax. By September 2025, Zacharia had worked as the legal counsel for Fix California, a political organization; served on the board of advisors for White Rose Resistance, an anti-abortion advocacy group; and was a member of the Pepperdine University School of Law's dean council. She had additionally served as a director of development for special projects at Pepperdine University.
Zacharia became the deputy assistant secretary of homeland security for public affairs in February 2026. She announced her resignation the following month. According to CNN, Zacharia, who lived in California, told an associate that commuting to the Department of Homeland Security's headquarters in Washington, D.C., was not sustainable. In June, Zacharia became a communications advisor to the Trump Media and Technology Group.
White House Press Secretary (2026–present)
On October 9, 2026, President Donald Trump named Zacharia as the White House press secretary.
Personal life
Zacharia married Tyler Zacharia in 2011 and they have four children. Tyler is a film producer who helped produce Young Washington, David, and The Irishman.