New White House Press Secretary Katie Zacharia first press conference was an unmitigated disaster.
She started reading from prepared notes for almost 9 minutes, speaking incoherently in chopped sentences while smiling intermittently like a ventriloquist dummy.
The first person she called on was from Breitbart. The question was so mundane and simple, it’s as if he was set up to begin the briefing. Zacharia took three questions totaling about 5 minutes and abruptly ended the briefing.
She reminded me of the very funny actress Keyla Monterroso Mejia, who played Maria Sofia on the 11th and 12th seasons of Curb Your Enthusiasm, where Larry was forced to give her a part in Larry’s Young Larry TV series. Her attempts at acting were so cringeworthy that David sent her to get some lessons because she couldn’t act and speak like a normal person. It immediately turned into a nightmare.
The joke was that she became a star in season 12.
I doubt that’s Katie’s outcome.
A Trump staffer already labeled her the next Scaramucci.
Quote from a WH official just now following Katie Zacharia’s first press briefing:
“Getting behind the podium is tough, but she got off on the wrong foot. She needs to get much better, fast, otherwise she’ll break Scaramucci’s record.”
— Jake Traylor (@jake__traylor) October 13, 2026
