WH Press Secretary Katie Zacharia’s Amazing Pro-Life Story
Katie Zacharia led her first briefing as the new White House press secretary yesterday, replacing Karoline Leavitt, who left the post in August to care for her growing family.
“It is my Great Honor to have just appointed, as Press Secretary, Katie Zacharia,” President Donald J. Trump announced on Truth Social on October 9. “Katie currently serves as Senior Communications Advisor to Truth Social (Trump Media & Technology Group), where she has been outstanding!”
The 41-year-old wife and mom of four previously served as spokesperson and deputy assistant secretary at the Department of Homeland Security. She graduated from Pepperdine University and the Pepperdine Caruso School of Law before working on the president’s campaign.
“I am confident that Katie will deliver strong results for our Country as the next White House Press Secretary, as she has the respect of, and will work fantastically with, the Media, the American People, and my Administration,” President Trump added.
During her first press briefing, Zacharia responded to a question about how she will balance her new role with her family life, saying her family will “always be a priority” even while she handles the demanding workload.
“I want to give my husband an amazing shout out. We have four kids, ranging from 12, 10, 8 and 6. Three of them are boys, so we have a handful,” Zacharia acknowledged. “I adore my family. I love them. They are my priority. I love being with my kids.”
“The idea of not spending evenings with kids is completely unacceptable. So, my husband is out here for the week because we have two birthdays in our family. And we are very protective of celebrating birthdays as a family. So, he brought the entire crew out here. And we will be moving out here.”
Upon Zacharia’s appointment, the pro-abortion group Reproductive Freedom For All slammed her as a “conservative commentator” who has “spread alarming anti-abortion disinformation.”
Zacharia has been consistently pro-life, once likening mifepristone (the first drug in a two-drug regimen commonly referred to as the abortion pill) to “the same chemicals that they used in the extermination camps in Nazi Germany.”
While not technically accurate, as mifepristone was first developed in the 1980s, the drug was manufactured by the same company (after several mergers) that developed Zyklon B – the chemical used in the extermination camps in Nazi Germany.
But Zacharia’s words are not the most remarkable aspect of her pro-life story. She, herself, was saved from the great human tragedy of abortion.
In a June 2025 interview, Zacharia discussed her pro-life principles, explaining that, when her mother was pregnant, she was “approximately 20, 30 minutes away from being aborted.”
“I learned this when I met my biological mom when I was 18,” she said.
When Zacharia’s 19-year-old biological mother was pregnant, her father demanded she “get an abortion.” However, moments before her mother’s aunt drove her to the abortion clinic, a Christian counselor called and urged her to “consider an open adoption rather than an abortion.”
The counselor encouraged Zacharia’s biological mother to give her preborn child the “opportunity to live” and warned “how painful abortion is for women,” including the “psychological, physical and physiological trauma” it involves.
The counselor voiced “hope and prayer” that she would choose life.
Thankfully, the counselor’s message resonated. Zacharia’s mom decided to carry the pregnancy to term and place Katie up for adoption.
“I was then adopted as a newborn, and the story really is one of a miracle,” Zacharia said. “This is an issue so near and dear to me because of the timeframe, the timeline that she looked at: finds out she’s pregnant, immediately wants to go get an abortion, we’re talking seconds, seconds of a phone call that really spared my life and saved my life.”
In hindsight, it’s easy to see the divine timing behind the Christian counselor’s call, a crucial moment which saved Zacharia’s life.
John 10:10 comes to mind: “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly” (ESV).
As Zacharia settles into her new role, it’s encouraging to see someone with such an impactful pro-life story in a position of influence at the White House.
We wish Zacharia the best in her new role, and give thanks that her mom chose life!
If you are experiencing an unexpected pregnancy and want to learn more about your options, you can visit My Choice Network.
Please considering supporting Focus on the Family’s Option Ultrasound program to place ultrasounds in pregnancy centers around the country. To date, we’ve helped save over 500,000 preborn babies from abortion.
Related articles and resources:
Dealing With Unplanned Pregnancy
Become an Option Ultrasound Life Advocate
How You Can Join the Pro-Life Movement
How To Join The Pro-Life Movement
Scriptures Advocating For The Pre-Born
The History of Christianity and Abortion
Photo from Getty Images.
