Donald Trump has selected conservative commentator Katie Zachary as the next White House press secretary, a White House official confirmed to the BBC. Zachary will thus succeed Karoline Leavitt, who left the post in late August following the birth of her second child.
Zachary currently serves as a communications advisor at Trump Media & Technology Group, the company that operates Trump's social media platform. According to her profile on LinkedIn, she has been with the media company and the platform since June. She frequently appears as a guest on conservative media programmes.
If she takes the post, Zachary would become the sixth principal spokesperson for the president during his two terms. Previously, she served as a spokesperson in the Department of Homeland Security, from February to March of this year. She also worked as chief legal counsel for Fix California, a conservative advocacy group led by Trump ally Ric Grenell.
Zachary is a lawyer who graduated from Pepperdine University in California. She is 42 years old and has four children.
Leavitt left the role in late August, at which point Trump described her as one of his 'most reliable allies'. The president stated that Leavitt wished to spend more time with her family. Reports indicate that Leavitt has taken a position at Fox News.
The selection of Zachary was first reported by the New York Times. At the time of publication, it was not clear whether Zachary had accepted the offer. The BBC has contacted Zachary for comment.
