White House press secretary Katie Zacharia became an instant viral sensation during her first press briefing on Tuesday after mistakenly saying “my president” instead of “my husband.”
Zacharia, a 41-year-old mother of four, was a familiar face on conservative broadcast programs before being chosen last week to succeed Karoline Leavitt.
The slip—which Zacharia good-naturedly acknowledged was “a good one”—has prompted fresh interest in the personal life of the White House’s new press secretary.
Her husband, Tyler, is a well-known film producer whose recent credits include several successful movies.
His credits include Martin Scorsese’s The Irishman and Silence, starring Andrew Garfield, along with recent major studio releases such as Roofman and The Breadwinner.
Although much of his work has been aimed at mainstream audiences, Tyler recently produced Young Washington, a film about the nation’s first president that proved popular with conservatives.
Tyler earned his undergraduate degree from Georgetown, where he studied international politics and military security. He later received an MBA from Pepperdine in 2016 and went on to work for a private equity firm in Beijing.
New White House Press Secretary Katie Zacharia’s husband, Tyler, is a prominent film producer whose recent credits include several successful movies
Martin Scorsese’s The Irishman and Silence are among Zacharia’s best-known credits, alongside recent major studio films including Roofman and The Breadwinner
According to his LinkedIn profile, Tyler served as a vice president at SGI Frontier Capital in Beijing from August 2007 through July 2013.
He also speaks fluent Mandarin, a skill that helped him secure work in the private equity sector.
“What I learned is that when you’re doing deals in China, or really anywhere, it’s not about the facts and figures as much as your people skills. That excites me way more than sitting down in front of a spreadsheet,” he said of his career.
Tyler now serves as chief operating officer of 2521 Entertainment, the company behind several recent films and an upcoming feature about the founding of the Hershey chocolate company.
He also oversees business operations at Boies Schiller Entertainment and CenterStage Technologies.
Katie and Tyler have been married since 2011, with Tyler confirming their marriage in a 2016 interview with Pepperdine Magazine.
The interview also revealed that the couple spent eight months backpacking around the world together during the mid-2010s.
New White House Press Secretary Katie Zacharia went viral during her first press briefing Tuesday after accidentally saying “my president” when she meant to say “my husband”
The couple have four children, and Katie spent five years away from work to focus on raising them.
Despite her demanding career, Katie says her children remain her top priority. “The idea of not spending evenings with my kids is completely unacceptable,” she said.
“I adore my family. I love them. They are my priority,” she added.
Katie was asked at one point how she could maintain that balance, given her family lives in California.
‘[Tyler’s] out here for the week because we have two birthdays in our family and we are very, very protective of celebrating birthdays as a family. So he brought the entire crew out here. Bless him. It’s a lot. And we will be moving out here,’ she said.
‘I intend to, to the extent possible, include my family, include my kids in my work. Though my work will be demanding, they will always be a priority.’
Katie Zacharia lived and worked in Beijing, China, for roughly two to three years after graduating from Pepperdine University’s law school.
She worked for the Zhong Lun Law Firm from about August 2011 to June 2014. Her husband, Tyler Zacharia, also worked in Beijing at the time for a private equity firm.
Tyler Zacharia (L) and Katie Zacharia attend the Nashville premiere of ‘David’ at AMC DINE-IN Thoroughbred 20
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President Donald Trump walks out along with White House press secretary Katie Zacharia to talk to reporters before boarding Marine One on the South Lawn
‘I practiced international transaction law, with all the appropriate credentials,’ Zacharia told the Daily Mail in a statement.
In addition to her roles in China, Katie Zacharia has also served as the general counsel of conservative political group Fix California, according to her LinkedIn, and has claimed to be outside counsel for the World Bank Group and the International Finance Corporation.
Katie, who was announced as press secretary on Friday, appeared Saturday morning on Fox & Friends Weekend to discuss her new position.
‘This job is not about me,’ Zacharia said. ‘This job is about [Trump] and how he wants to communicate to the American people.’
She called Trump ‘the most energetic, intense president we have ever seen,’ and touted his policies as ‘the most effective [and] most exciting.’
Zacharia, who is also a senior communications advisor for the President’s Truth Social social media platform, added that she could not wait to work for Trump.
‘Whatever it brings – he’s full of surprises – but I’m really excited about it,’ she said.
The new press secretary noted that Trump had shown her where the White House ballroom would be. She called it an example of Trump ‘bringing back’ America’s greatness.
Trump had grown enamored with Zacharia’s performances on his favorite channel, Fox News, before making her his new press secretary
‘He is ahead of schedule, under budget, and it’s gonna be amazing,’ Zacharia said.
Trump announced that Zacharia would follow Karoline Leavitt, the previous press secretary, on Friday afternoon on Truth Social. Leavitt announced her departure on August 12 and left the position on August 27, which she explained was to spend more time with her family.
Trump said Zacharia had been ‘outstanding’ in her role at Truth Social, noting she had also served as deputy assistant secretary for public affairs at the Department of Homeland Security, where she lasted six weeks.
She replaced Tricia McLaughlin in February as the on-camera face of Trump’s immigration crackdown.
But it was short lived, and her exit from DHS was shrouded in controversy, with reports she was pushed out over her close ties to Corey Lewandowski, Kristi Noem’s DHS adviser and rumored lover.
Zacharia, at the time, flatly denied that account, claiming she stepped away because constant travel between Washington and her home in California was too hard on her family.
Trump said on Truth Social in his announcement: ‘She has an unblemished record of support, and has been a loyal and brilliant supporter, right from the beginning.’
The president said Zacharia was ‘a devoted fan and member of MAGA,’ who he was confident would ‘deliver strong results.’
Trump appointed the 41-year-old mother of four without consulting his chief of staff Susie Wiles, four sources told the Daily Mail
Zacharia thanked Trump on Truth Social ‘for the distinguished privilege’ of becoming White House press secretary after his announcement.
‘Serving President Trump and the American people at this critical 250–year mark is the honor of a lifetime,’ Zacharia wrote.
She said Trump had ‘shown America that we can be great again’ while lavishing praise on his administration.
‘His confidence is a true privilege, and his leadership is a blessing to this country,’ Zacharia added.
‘God bless President Trump, and God bless America,’ she continued.
Trump also said Zacharia had been previously involved in his presidential campaigns, particularly in key swing states.
Zacharia’s naming comes during an important political period ahead of the midterm elections in November.
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