Daniel Wolfram
The newly minted press secretary believes that Hollywood elites are cannibals and is a big fan of Putin.
Donald Trump recently picked Katie Zacharia to serve as his new White House press secretary. She starts her new job today, October 13, with her first press briefing.
But her past online activity is now causing a stir. A review by CNN revealed a long trail of conspiracy posts and extreme accusations across social media.
These range from baseless claims to strong opinions about ruthless dictators.
A conspiracy theorist
Back in 2022, Zacharia worked as a communications adviser for Truth Social, the social media network owned by Trump.
CNN found that her own feed was filled with conspiracy theories. She repeatedly attacked political opponents with debunked pedophilia theories, and in one post responding to a Variety article about Hollywood star Timothée Chalamet’s new movie about cannibalism, she wrote, “The radical left Hollywood elitists are sick pedo cannibals. Change my mind.”
Her account also amplified other wild claims. She shared posts suggesting Russian President Vladimir Putin was fighting a hidden global cabal, along with a repost claiming comedian Joan Rivers died after speaking about the Obamas. She also shared a post claiming the Democratic Party wanted to assault children.
Warning the Republican Party
The controversy goes beyond bizarre theories. In deleted posts from June 2025, Zacharia urged the White House to “suspend habeas corpus” for migrants, citing constitutional clauses for invasion. That legal protection allows detained people to challenge their custody before a judge.
Later that year, she vented about the administration itself.
Responding to conservative commentator Mike Cernovich, the main promoter of the Pizzagate conspiracy theory in which he alleged that rich Democratic elites were involved in a child-sex ring under a pizza parlor, Zacharia expressed frustration about the direction of the administration, claiming that the “2026 midterms will be a bloodbath if we don’t shift course now.”
The Epstein files
She also shared posts accusing the Justice Department of concealing records tied to Jeffrey Epstein. Trump has been trying for most of his second term to kill the story about the Epstein files and his own personal ties to the convicted pedophile.
Zacharia gave a non-answer about her past social media activity when questioned by CNN. “I am grateful to serve President Trump as Press Secretary, and I will diligently and effectively amplify his successful agenda,” Zacharia wrote in a written statement.
White House communications director Steven Cheung praised the appointment. He told CNN, “Katie is a fabulous and wonderful addition to the team. She is uniquely qualified and whip-smart to help inform the American people about all the great things President Trump and his Administration have been doing, and she will do an incredible job as Press Secretary.”
