Katie Zacharia Makes Debut as New White House Press Secretary
The Facts
- Katie Zacharia made her inaugural press briefing as U.S. President Donald Trump's new press secretary on Tuesday. She had been appointed on Friday and replaces Karoline Leavitt, who left the post in August.
- A statement on the debut from the White House described it as having "generated wall-to-wall coverage," adding that it "served as a strong introduction to her tenure."
- Some reports were critical of the appearance, which the New York Times described as "bumpy" and "awkward," while CNN's Kaitlan Collins said even her White House sources described it as "brutal." The Guardian described the new secretary as the "Zachbot" after the appearance.
Sources Split
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The Spin
Pro-Trump narrative
Zacharia delivered a powerful and commanding briefing in her inaugural appearance that generated wall-to-wall coverage and served as a strong introduction to her tenure as she highlighted the Trump Administration's record of delivering historic successes for the American people.
Left narrative
Apart from this briefing being one of the shortest in modern history, it was remarkably unconvincing and awkward. Zacharia's delivery was stilted, lacking in eye contact and possessing all the warmth of an AI chatbot. It is surely only a matter of time before she is ousted.
Right narrative
While Zacharia was visibly nervous and her performance a little underwhelming it was only her first time on the podium — answering reporter's questions on breaking events in real time is no easy feat. She is more than qualified for the role and will no doubt grow into her position.