A glamorous Fox TV star is taking on one of the toughest jobs in the Trump administration as Kristi Noem’s Department of Homeland Security spokeswoman.
Katie Zacharia, 41, will become the face of the embattled department after the deadly shootings of two anti-ICE protesters in Minneapolis plunged Donald Trump’s presidency into its greatest crisis.
The mother-of-four will replace 31–year–old Tricia McLaughlin as the on-camera face of Trump’s immigration crackdown – the culmination of a career spanning work as an attorney for the World Bank in China and Republican political campaigns.
DHS officials said McLaughlin’s exit was delayed after the killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, who she referred to as ‘domestic terrorists.’
Her DHS tenure was marred by accusations of corruption surrounding her husband’s advertising firm, which reportedly benefitted from an $220 million agency contract. A DHS spokesperson said at the time that the agency did not choose the subcontractor.
‘Tricia helped steer hundreds of millions in taxpayer dollars to her soon-to-be husband’s firm and is walking out the door right as walls close in on Noem and her head of affair(s). This isn’t a departure… it’s an escape,’ a source told the Daily Mail, taking a jab at the Homeland Security Secretary’s rumored lover Corey Lewandowski.
Known for her unapologetic conservative views, Zacharia has spent years as a cable news staple, debating tough topics as a prime-time contributor for Newsmax and Fox News.
McLaughlin’s role will be split between two new hires: Zacharia as deputy assistant secretary and spokeswoman, and Lauren Bis, who will serve as the assistant secretary.
Zacharia has spent years as a staple of cable news, taking on tough topics in front of millions of viewers as a contributor for Newsmax and Fox News
Tricia McLaughlin’s tenure in DHS was marred by accusations of corruption following a November report detailing how her husband’s advertising firm benefitted from an $220 million agency contract
The mother-of-four will replace 31–year–old Tricia McLaughlin as the on-camera face of Trump’s immigration crackdown – the culmination of a career spanning work as an attorney for the World Bank in China and Republican political campaigns
Lewandowski wields unprecedented power within the DHS as a special government employee due to his relationship with Secretary Kristi Noem
The move was orchestrated by Lewandowski, Noem’s de-facto number two, who decided to elevate the pair replacing McLaughlin, a source said.
Lewandowski was personally involved in the decision to make the Fox News star the on-camera face of DHS as public support for their immigration agenda implodes.
Bis previously worked as McLaughlin’s deputy assistant secretary for media relations.
A source familiar with the move says that Bis will be working mostly behind the camera, while Zacharia will do a majority of the TV and forward facing appearances.
Zacharia is now tasked with managing the very agency she has spent years analyzing from the commentator’s chair, having regularly slammed government inefficiency on several national networks.
A source close to Zacharia said that she is officially stepping into the new role on February 23.
Zacharia spent three years in China working as an outside counsel for the World Bank. She is married to film producer Tyler Zacharia – both attended Pepperdine University – and they have four children.
McLaughlin originally planned on jumping ship from DHS in December but delayed due to the fallout from Good and Pretti’s deaths.
She is expected to announce her plans to colleagues on Tuesday before departing DHS next week.
A source familiar with the move says that Bis will be working mostly behind the camera in her new assistant secretary role
Zacharia is now tasked with managing the very agency she has spent years analyzing from the commentator’s chair
McLaughlin’s resignation comes as public opinion has plummeted on Trump’s immigration crackdowns in major US cities.
Sources say McLaughlin decided to leave after becoming ‘exhausted’ by the constant scandals engulfing Noem.
‘Tricia was spent… she was exhausted. She just couldn’t take it anymore. It’s a pretty toxic role,’ a DHS source told the Daily Mail.
Following the shootings of Good, a mother of three, and Pretti, an ICU nurse, by immigration agents McLaughlin defended their killings by labelling them ‘domestic terrorists’ who had ill–intent.
Her departure coincides with a funding cutoff for the department as Democrats have painted Trump’s blood-soaked immigration enforcement as a national disaster.
As Noem began losing control over the public messaging in Minneapolis, Trump sent in White House border czar Tom Homan to take charge over the crackdown.
Homan is the chief rival of Noem and her rumored lover Corey Lewandowski. His takeover of Minneapolis suggested Trump had lost confidence in Noem’s leadership.
McLaughlin, meanwhile, dodged accusations of corruption during her final months in DHS.
An advertisement firm owned by Ben Yoho, McLaughlin’s husband, benefitted from a $220 million taxpayer–funded media campaign.
The firm, which is also tied to Noem and Lewandowski, was paid from the media campaign, raising concerns of potential conflicts–of–interest.
