'My president…sorry, my husband': White House press secretary's awkward debut
What's the story
Katie Zacharia, the newly appointed White House Press Secretary, had a rocky start during her first briefing on Tuesday. The 41-year-old briefly confused the president with her husband when she was asked about balancing her demanding job with raising four children. She succeeded Karoline Leavitt, who left the post citing the demands of the job and her desire to spend more time with her children.
Press con
What she said
Responding to that personal question, she first gave her husband a shout-out and said she loved being with her children.
"The idea of not spending evenings with my kids is completely unacceptable. So my president—excuse me, my husband," she said awkwardly.
She then attempted to cover up the slip-up with a joke, saying, "That's a good one."
Praise
'President Trump is the most family-friendly president'
She proceeded to praise Trump and his decision to appoint her for the role.
She said, "President Trump is the most family-friendly president we have ever had. He has hired more women with families and the fact that he knew I had four kids and he knew this job would be demanding and still placed his trust in me shows I know I'm capable of being able to step up to that."
Twitter Post
Watch video here
Katie Zacharia slips up: My president-- Excuse me, my husband. That's a good one. Ha ha ha pic.twitter.com/RTacfHXDVL
— Headquarters (@HQNewsNow) October 13, 2026
Briefing conclusion
'Eye-wateringly bad debut'
The Daily Mail called her speech "slightly robotic," while The Independent described her performance as an "eye-wateringly bad debut."
"Katie Zacharia's maiden briefing was excruciating - at least her predecessor had delivered her propaganda hot," The Guardian wrote.
President Trump, though, defended his new press secretary, saying he thought she did "excellent."
Appointment details
Who is Zacharia
Zacharia previously worked as a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security and is currently a communications adviser for Trump Media and Technology Group.
She also worked as an intern in the White House Office of Political Affairs during the second Bush administration and at the Republican National Committee.
The California native has long been involved in Republican politics and frequently appeared as a commentator on Fox News.