President Donald Trump’s new White House press secretary, Katie Zacharia, is facing backlash less than a day after her appointment over a conspiracy theory linking abortion medication to Nazi concentration camps. Now, critics are accusing the conservative commentator of spreading dangerous misinformation before she has even settled into her new role.
Trump named Zacharia, 41, as his next press secretary on Friday, October 9, replacing Karoline Leavitt, who left the position at the end of August. The former Department of Homeland Security spokesperson has frequently defended Trump on conservative television and social media. However, a 2025 post on X has resurfaced following her appointment, drawing criticism over her claims about mifepristone, a medication used in medication abortions.
Zacharia claimed the drug, formerly known as RU-486, was connected to the manufacturer of Zyklon B, the poison gas used in Nazi concentration camps. Although the chemical companies mentioned in her post had historical corporate connections, that does not establish that mifepristone contains Zyklon B or that the medication has any connection to the Holocaust. Mifepristone was developed by French pharmaceutical company Roussel-Uclaf in the 1980s and received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2000.
Zacharia’s appointment led to further criticism from reproductive rights advocates. Mini Timmaraju, president and CEO of Reproductive Freedom for All, accused Trump of giving the anti-abortion disinformation movement a powerful platform by selecting Zacharia.
The controversy has also reignited criticism of Zacharia’s past political claims. In December 2025, she blamed the deaths of American service members on what she called a stolen 2020 election, despite no evidence that the election was stolen. She also offered no evidence connecting former President Joe Biden to the fatal shooting of National Guard member Sarah Beckstrom in November 2025.
People Online Are Judging Her
Social media users were quick to question the incoming press secretary’s credibility, with several accusing her of misleading the public. “@KatieZacharia is LYING,” one commenter, Jostina del Fuego, wrote.
Another user, Elizabeth Wingfield, pushed back against the chemical comparison, explaining that Zyklon B is not an ingredient in abortion pills and that mifepristone works by blocking progesterone, a hormone needed to maintain pregnancy. “Omg she hasn’t even been in this job 24 hours and the BS has started,” another commenter wrote.
“Why be surprised that the latest blonde [expletive] working for Trump is dumb and ignorant?” another X user harshly criticized, further providing similar information about how Mifepristone isn’t even comparable to gas in Nazi chambers. Others were equally unimpressed. “Well, she’s off to a strong misinformation start,” one user remarked, while another questioned why people would believe such claims without scientific evidence.
One commenter also mocked the administration’s choice, sarcastically suggesting Zacharia should have been hired by the Department of Health and Human Services because of her supposed expertise. With the November midterm elections approaching, Zacharia’s appointment is already fueling concerns about the administration’s approach to reproductive rights. Her past statements are likely to remain under scrutiny as she takes on one of the White House’s most visible roles.
