Katie Zacharia is expected to lead her first White House press briefing Tuesday, taking on the role of President Donald Trump’s chief spokesperson as his approval ratings have fallen and Republicans face the November midterm elections. Trump praised Zacharia’s personal loyalty when he announced her appointment, calling her a “devoted fan and member of MAGA.” Zacharia, 41, described the position as the “honor of a lifetime” in a social media post Friday and praised Trump’s leadership and policies. A lawyer and graduate of Pepperdine University’s Caruso School of Law, Zacharia has advised Trump Media & Technology Group, which operates Truth Social, and regularly appeared as a pro-Trump commentator on Fox News and Newsmax. She also served on the advisory board of the anti-abortion group The White Rose Resistance. Her public comments have included inflammatory claims. In 2022, Zacharia used the phrase “Pedo Podesta” in a post about former Democratic White House chief of staff John Podesta, and shared a far-right commentator’s claim that Democrats wanted to “mask and rape your children.” The claims are conspiracy theories, not substantiated evidence of wrongdoing. In an August appearance on Real America’s Voice, Zacharia linked abortion advocacy to public reaction in the case of Lindsay Clancy, who was charged with killing her three children. Clancy’s trial ended in a mistrial after five weeks and drew national attention to postpartum depression. Zacharia argued that “toxic feminism” had shaped perceptions of the case. Asked about Zacharia’s social media posts, the White House praised her but did not address the specific comments. FBI Director Kash Patel called her “sharp” and “fearless,” while former press secretary Karoline Leavitt said she expected Zacharia to do well in the job. Zacharia takes the podium amid a widening clash between the administration and the press corps. The White House recently restricted access for CNN, MS NOW and Politico, and the Justice Department has opened an investigation into five television networks that share pool video coverage of Trump. In a Fox News appearance Saturday, Zacharia also defended Trump’s plan to import Russian diesel fuel, which has drawn bipartisan criticism, and said congressional Republicans could have done more to support the president ahead of the midterms. “President Trump has made the case and delivered historic results,” she said.