White House Press Secretary Katie Zacharia revealed Thursday that she deliberately aligned her television commentary with President Trump’s policy priorities in the months before she was chosen for the job, saying she wanted to be recruited rather than campaign openly for the position.
In an interview with host Jack Posobiec on the conservative outlet Real America’s Voice, Zacharia said she kept close tabs on what Trump was pushing, especially on Truth Social, where she served as a senior communications adviser for Trump Media and Technology Group.
“I tracked every news hit to be in accordance with what policies he was pushing for, particularly on Truth Social,” she said.
Zacharia, who was named to the post on Oct. 9 after Karoline Leavitt stepped down in August to spend more time with her family, argued that directly lobbying for the press secretary job would have been counterproductive. Instead, she described her strategy as an “audition” on television.
“I am not lobbying for this job,” she said. “Why? Because my philosophy is I’m on TV enough where if he sees me and he likes me, then I will be recruited for the job.”
She pointed to her on-air defense of Trump during Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to the United States for a summit, when the president faced criticism for the elaborate welcome he extended to Xi. Zacharia, who previously lived and worked in China, said she wanted to explain the nuances of dealing with Beijing.
“I really wanted to give context for how you do business in China and why President Trump’s approach is actually the effective way to get the deal done,” she said. “He’s actually, by showing deference to Xi Jinping, effectuating his ability to get that deal.”
She added that many Americans fail to grasp that dynamic, saying criticism of the pomp and circumstance “so means you really don’t understand what happens in China, and that President Trump is after a deal for the American people … he has never deviated from being America first.”
Zacharia held her first White House press briefing on Tuesday, where she drew attention for saying she passed the bar exam after moving to China. She later told the New York Times she had misheard the question. On Thursday, the Wall Street Journal reported that she did not pass the California bar exam she took in 2011 after graduating from law school.
The episode has renewed scrutiny of Zacharia’s background as she settles into one of the most visible roles in the administration. Her remarks about tailoring her media appearances to Trump’s interests also underscore the intense loyalty tests that often define staffing decisions in his orbit.
Zacharia’s approach appears to have paid off. She now speaks for the president at a time when his communications team is navigating a crowded domestic and international agenda, from trade tensions with China to a series of high-profile domestic initiatives.
Her comments are likely to fuel further discussion about the relationship between conservative media and the Trump White House, where television appearances can serve as both a proving ground and a recruitment tool. For now, Zacharia is embracing the role she says she earned by staying on message.
