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(https://www.motherjones.com/author/inae-oh/) ()    (https://www.motherjones.com/author/inae-oh/) (See all posts by Inae Oh) Inae Oh   Senior News and Engagement Editor (https://www.motherjones.com/author/inae-oh/) (See all posts by this author) Bio |  (https://twitter.com/eenayo) Follow        (http://facebook.com/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.motherjones.com%2Fpolitics%2F2026%2F10%2Fkatie-zacharia-first-day-white-house-press-secretary%2F)  Share on Facebook   (https://x.com/intent/tweet?text=Katie%20Zacharia%20bombs%20first%20day%20as%20White%20House%20press%20secretary&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.motherjones.com%2Fpolitics%2F2026%2F10%2Fkatie-zacharia-first-day-white-house-press-secretary%2F&via=MotherJones)  Share on Twitter   (https://bsky.app/intent/compose?text=Katie%20Zacharia%20bombs%20first%20day%20as%20White%20House%20press%20secretary https%3A%2F%2Fwww.motherjones.com%2Fpolitics%2F2026%2F10%2Fkatie-zacharia-first-day-white-house-press-secretary%2F)    Share on Bluesky   (mailto:?subject=Katie%20Zacharia%20Bombs%20First%20Day%20as%20White%20House%20Press%20Secretary&body=Any%20remaining%20skepticism%20of%20America%E2%80%99s%20literacy%20crisis%20vanished%20Tuesday%20morning%2C%20when%20Katie%20Zacharia%2C%20a%20former%20TV%20political%20commentator%2C%20stepped%20up%20to%20the%20White%20House%20podium%20for%20her%20first%20briefing%20as%20President%20Trump%E2%80%99s%20new%20press%20secretary.%20It%20is%20from%20this%20esteemed%20perch%20that%20Zacharia%20appeared%20physically%20strained%20as%20she%20struggled%20to%20deliver%20prepared%20remarks%2C%20as%20if%20%5B%E2%80%A6%5D0https%3A%2F%2Fwww.motherjones.com%2Fpolitics%2F2026%2F10%2Fkatie-zacharia-first-day-white-house-press-secretary%2F)  Email   (index.html#comment-container)  Comments       ()  ulia Demaree Nikhinson/AP  Get your news from a source that’s not owned and controlled by oligarchs. (https://www.motherjones.com/newsletters/?mj_oac=Article_Top_No_Oligarchs) Sign up for the free Mother Jones Daily .   Any remaining skepticism of America’s (https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2026/01/americas-reading-crisis-that-no-one-wants-to-talk-about/) literacy crisis vanished Tuesday morning, when Katie Zacharia, a former TV political commentator, stepped up to the White House podium for her first briefing as President Trump’s new press secretary.  It is from this esteemed perch that Zacharia appeared physically strained as she struggled to deliver prepared remarks, as if the task of reading was too much to endure. In other moments, Zacharia (https://bsky.app/profile/atrupar.com/post/3mxr6fgsoyb2j) sighed heavily . As for the content of her remarks, they fit the usual Trumpian bill, with Zacharia vacillating between thanking the president for anointing her with a dream job and portraying Trump’s job performance as overwhelmingly positive.  But the overtly propagandistic notes took a backseat to Zacharia’s first-day performance, which even included the error of referring to her husband as “(https://x.com/atrupar/status/2110007535608479995?s=20) my president. ” By turns halting and anxious, it made Karoline Leavitt, who resigned in September, seem like a rhetorical genius. BREAKING: Katie Zacharia takes the podium for her first White House press briefing as President Trump's press secretary:"I am so honored to work for President Trump and the American people.""I want to thank President Trump for his trust that he has placed in me." (https://t.co/CZSDhtSPMA) pic.twitter.com/CZSDhtSPMA  — Fox News (@FoxNews) (https://x.com/FoxNews/status/2110005446463365134?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) October 13, 2026    “The clock is running. Thus far 1/11th of a Scaramucci,” Anthony Scaramucci, the former press secretary during Trump’s first administration, (https://x.com/scaramucci/status/2110015408426418553?s=46&t=0Ll-mZOikncozqFoaPp24A) quipped on social media.     Looking for news you can trust?  Subscribe to the Mother Jones Daily to have our top stories delivered directly to your inbox.   (index.html#sailthru-signup-widget) Close  Thank you for subscribing!  G59DC (G59DC) ()   (0af10d59ba)  (Newsletters,Fundraising_Emails,Sponsored_Emails)  (add_subscriber)  (EndOfArticle)  ()  ()  ()  (6LezQfIrAAAAABpD_zOoBPI9FPJFwXmhgzSU393K)  ()  ()  (Sign Up)        By signing up, you agree to our (https://www.motherjones.com/about/privacy-policy/) privacy policy and (https://www.motherjones.com/about/terms/) terms of use , and to receive messages from Mother Jones and our partners.   We were built for times like these Russian bots are impersonating us. Trump and his allies want to silence us. 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