Katie Zacharia confused Donald Trump with her husband while discussing how she would balance family responsibilities with her new role.
TBS Report
14 October, 2026, 08:40 pm
Last modified: 14 October, 2026, 08:41 pm
"My president – sorry, my husband," US President Donald Trump's new press secretary Katie Zacharia said during her first White House press briefing on Tuesday, confusing Trump with her husband while answering a question about balancing her job and family responsibilities, according to The Independent.
The verbal slip left Zacharia visibly flustered, and she struggled to recover before abruptly ending the briefing and leaving the room, the British news outlet reported.
Zacharia had begun the briefing by praising Trump and claiming his presidency had generated unprecedented energy and excitement ahead of the US midterm elections. However, she struggled to deliver her prepared remarks smoothly, repeatedly reading from her notes in a stilted manner.
Katie Zacharia confused Donald Trump with her husband while discussing how she would balance family responsibilities with her new role.
She cited a rally in Ohio featuring social media personality Jake Paul and claimed Americans were turning out in large numbers to support Trump and Republicans.
She also listed business deals secured by the president and said he would "secure the western hemisphere for centuries to come", before moving on to topics including Greenland and fentanyl.
The question-and-answer session proved more difficult. Asked whether the United States had stopped sharing intelligence with Ukraine, Zacharia replied, "I'll have to get back to you on that."
During another exchange, she struggled to explain her role, saying she would continue doing what she had been doing before, including seeking to amplify Trump's agenda.
The most awkward moment came when the Daily Mail asked how she would balance her responsibilities as a mother with her new job. After mentioning her children's ages and saying her husband was helping, she mistakenly referred to Trump as her husband.
Although she acknowledged the mistake by saying, "Wow, that's a good one," she appeared unable to regain her composure and moved to end the briefing, The Independent reported.
Zacharia previously held a senior communications role at Trump Media and Technology Group and has appeared on conservative media outlets, including Newsmax and Fox News. Trump praised her as a loyal and brilliant supporter when announcing her appointment.
The Independent noted that the transition from working behind the scenes on political communications to facing questions from journalists presented a different challenge for Zacharia, whose first briefing was marked by hesitant delivery and difficulty responding to questions.
The report also referred to an analysis of Zacharia's deleted social media posts that allegedly showed her engaging with conspiracy theories, including anti-vaccine misinformation and claims involving Democrats and the Obama family.
Her debut came amid political pressure on the Trump administration ahead of the midterm elections, with questions surrounding the economy, the war in Iran and US support for Ukraine adding to the challenges facing the White House communications team.