Late-night host Jimmy Kimmel mocked new White House press secretary Katie Zacharia in monologues aired Monday and Tuesday, drawing public criticism from two White House officials. The remarks followed President Donald Trump’s announcement of Zacharia’s appointment on Friday and her first press briefing on Tuesday.
On Monday’s episode of “Jimmy Kimmel Live!,” Kimmel showed a gym selfie of Zacharia and made jokes about her intelligence and qualifications. He described her as a former Newsmax commentator and quipped that her credentials included blonde hair and the ability to give a thumbs-up.
Kimmel returned to the subject Tuesday, after Zacharia’s first briefing. He referred to her as “Malibu Katie,” compared her first day to kindergarten and questioned her intelligence. He also suggested she had been chosen to keep Trump attentive, and made a crude personal insult about her appearance and loyalty to the president.
White House spokesman Davis Ingle responded in a statement to Fox News Digital, calling Kimmel a “no-talent loser” and criticizing his audience figures and material. Ingle also accused the host of spreading falsehoods. Those characterizations were the spokesman’s, rather than independently established findings.
White House communications director Steven Cheung defended Zacharia in a separate statement to Fox News Digital. Cheung called her a strong addition to the administration and said she was qualified and capable of explaining its work to the public. His comments did not address Kimmel’s broader criticism of the administration.
Zacharia previously worked as a senior communications adviser to Trump Media & Technology Group, the company that operates Truth Social. In announcing her appointment, Trump praised her support for him and expressed confidence she would work effectively with the media, the public and his administration.
Her first briefing lasted 14 minutes. The New York Times characterized the appearance as a “bumpy debut,” according to the supplied account. During the session, Zacharia referred to her husband, Tyler Zacharia, as “my president,” then corrected herself immediately. The source does not provide further detail about questions or exchanges at the briefing.
The dispute centers on Kimmel’s personal remarks and the White House’s defense of its new spokesperson. The source material documents statements from Ingle and Cheung, as well as the reported details of Zacharia’s appointment and debut; it does not include a response from Kimmel or Zacharia to the White House comments.
