Trump's New Press Secretary: 'Take Over All of California' Remark in Deleted Post Resurfaces

Katie Zacharia, whom President Donald Trump appointed as White House press secretary on 9 October, is facing scrutiny over a deleted social media post in which she called for the federal government to 'take over all of California.'

The post, made in June 2025 in response to California Gov. Gavin Newsom, read: 'The federal government under @realDonaldTrump should take over all of California because clearly you can't be trusted to do a single thing.'

The Internet Archive preserved a copy of the post, which is no longer visible on Zacharia's X account, according to reporting by The Bulwark.

It is not established when or why the post was removed, or whether Zacharia still holds that view. The post did not specify what form such a takeover would take or how it would be implemented.

Zacharia succeeded Karoline Leavitt, who left the role at the end of August. Trump announced her appointment on 9 October, placing a former conservative media commentator and communications adviser in charge of White House press briefings.

Zacharia briefly served as a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security under then-Secretary Kristi Noem. She has also appeared on Fox News and Newsmax and worked as a communications adviser for Trump's Truth Social platform.

The California Takeover Remark

Zacharia was responding to Newsom when she called for the federal government to 'take over all of California.' However, the post did not outline a specific policy or explain how the proposed takeover would be carried out.

Newsom's press office later responded to The Bulwark's report, saying it was concerned that Zacharia had supported a 'complete federal military takeover' of California and questioning why the post had been deleted.

Deleted Posts and Vaccine Claims

In another series of deleted posts, Zacharia called for suspending habeas corpus, the legal procedure through which a person can challenge the lawfulness of their detention. The Bulwark reported that the posts came in response to a message from White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller claiming that sanctuary cities amount to a criminal conspiracy.

Habeas corpus is a longstanding safeguard against unlawful detention. In the United States, Article I, Section 9 of the Constitution provides for its suspension only in specified circumstances, making proposals to suspend it a matter of constitutional significance.

In August 2026, Zacharia reposted an article claiming that '8 in 10 women had a miscarriage after getting the COVID vaccine.' The claim is inconsistent with evidence from studies of COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy, which have found no increased risk of miscarriage.

Posts attributed to a now-deleted Twitter account using the same handle as Zacharia's current X account included accusations that Bill Gates was 'a eugenicist' and was 'pushing for everyone to get a toxic jab.'

Other Contested Statements

In a September 2025 post, Zacharia used the phrase 'leftist transgender assailants' while claiming that transgender people were responsible for 'at least a dozen' school shootings.

She then described Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed as 'an indictment of our immigration system under Democrats.'

Zacharia also criticised Chief Justice John Roberts as 'not even that conservative' and wrote that his position in a birthright citizenship case 'should have gotten him a seat back at those lib-tables.'

In a podcast interview in 2025, Zacharia reportedly linked the abortion pill mifepristone to the history of companies associated with Zyklon B, the poison gas used by Nazi Germany in mass murder.

Zacharia had not publicly addressed the posts in the statements reviewed for this article as of publication. The Bulwark reported that the White House did not respond to its request for comment before publication.

Past Statements on Trump and Elections

In another post, Zacharia called for Time magazine to publish a more flattering photograph of Trump after he criticised an image of himself. The original post and its exact wording should be checked before publication.

Last month, she wrote on X: 'President Trump does not need a spokesperson. He is his own best Press Secretary.' The remark is notable given that Zacharia was preparing to become the administration's principal spokesperson.

She has also repeatedly claimed that the 2020 election was stolen and encouraged Trump to seek a third term in 2028. The 22nd Amendment to the US Constitution states that no person may be elected president more than twice.

In a deleted post in December 2025, Zacharia warned that the midterm elections would be a 'bloodbath' for Republicans unless they 'shift course now.'