// BBC WORLD NEWS — MONDO
Commentator Katie Zacharia picked as new White House press secretary
Donald Trump has chosen conservative commentator Katie Zacharia to be the next White House press secretary.
Zacharia, who currently works for Trump Media & Technology Group, will become the US president's sixth chief spokesperson across his two administrations. She previously had a brief stint as a spokeswoman at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
Trump called Zacharia "loyal" and "a devoted fan and member of MAGA" in a social media post on Friday, referring to his Make America Great Again movement, adding that she had "an unblemished record of support".
Former White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, who left the White House in August, has reportedly taken a job with Fox News.
"She was previously involved in my Campaigns, assisting in key Swing States, where we won 7 out of 7," Trump wrote on Truth Social of Zacharia.
"I am confident that Katie will deliver strong results for our Country as the next White House Press Secretary, as she has the respect of, and will work fantastically with, the Media, the American People, and my Administration."
Zacharia thanked him in a post on X, writing: "Serving President Trump and the American people at this critical 250-year mark is the honor of a lifetime."
She said Trump had "shown America that we can be great again, and he works to effectuate that greatness every single day".
She said she looked forward "to working with the White House press corps, and with reporters across the country, to get that record out".
The 42-year-old political strategist is a frequent fixture on conservative Newsmax and Fox News, and has been active in Republican politics for most of her adult life, having worked as an intern for the Republican National Committee and for the White House Office of Political Affairs during the Bush administration in 2006.