Katie Zacharia is out at DHS — after just a few weeks on the job.
The department’s spokesperson and deputy assistant for public affairs announced Tuesday she’s leaving the role she stepped into in mid-February, marking another rapid turnover inside Trump’s communications orbit at Homeland Security.
“I joined @DHSgov with a genuine passion for supporting @realDonaldTrump @POTUS in his decisive and effective policies to secure our homeland, be a voice for the precious Angel Families, and an advocate for the men and women of @ICEgov,” Zacharia wrote in a post on X.
“I look forward to continuing that work in other capacities,” she added.
Zacharia, a frequent Fox News commentator and longtime Trump loyalist, had been a high-profile defender of the administration’s immigration agenda before joining DHS. Her short tenure follows the recent departure of Tricia McLaughlin, the department’s former top spokesperson, who exited amid mounting scrutiny over the administration’s aggressive immigration tactics.
But Zacharia’s exit comes with additional baggage.
According to The Daily Beast, she was pushed out in part due to her close ties to Corey Lewandowski — a longtime Trump adviser serving as a special government employee. Lewandowski has become a growing liability for the administration, facing accusations of leveraging his informal influence inside DHS for personal and political gain.
At the center of the controversy: allegations that Lewandowski had an affair with former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, raising questions about conflicts of interest and internal favoritism. Reports have also suggested he may have benefited from government-connected contracts while maintaining proximity to DHS decision-making.
Those concerns have now drawn congressional attention. House Democrats escalated an investigation into Lewandowski last month, probing potential corruption, mismanagement, and the extent of his unofficial role in shaping DHS operations.
