White House press secretary Katie Zacharia faced widespread online laughter after her first briefing on Tuesday turned short and awkward. The session lasted 14 minutes and featured a memorable slip-up that quickly went viral.
Zacharia, recently appointed by President Donald to replace Karoline Leavitt, opened with prepared remarks praising the administration’s achievements.
She spent most of the time reading from notes before taking questions from only three reporters, all from conservative outlets: Breitbart, Fox News and the Daily Mail.
Nervous start and family question
When asked about balancing the demanding job with raising her four children, Zacharia became visibly nervous.
She said, “I love being with my kids. The idea of not spending evenings with my kids is completely unacceptable. So my president – excuse me, my husband – that’s a good one.”
The mix-up drew laughter in the room as she tried to recover by calling Trump the “most family-friendly president we’ve ever had.”
Briefing ends abruptly
Zacharia struggled with some answers including a question on U.S. intelligence sharing with Ukraine, saying she would “get back” to the reporter. She also announced that the administration had asked U.S. Ambassador to Greece Kimberly Guilfoyle to resign.
She then ended the briefing early, noting that Trump was heading to Marine One for a trip to Alaska and reporters could ask him questions there.
Online reactions poured in, with many comparing the stilted delivery to a “hostage video.” Critics noted the contrast with longer briefings under her predecessor.
White House officials privately described the debut as awkward or “brutal,” though some said it was simply a first-day performance.
Zacharia, a former conservative commentator and mother of four, has emphasized family priorities while committing to amplify Trump’s message. Her short debut has set an uncertain tone just weeks before the midterm elections.
