'My husband — excuse me, president': Katie Zacharia stumbles in 14-minute White House briefing debut | VIRAL VIDEO

White House Press Secretary Katie Zacharia mistakenly called Donald Trump her husband during her 14-minute debut briefing. Know details on her background and career.

Newly appointed White House Press Secretary Katie Zacharia faced an awkward debut on Monday, accidentally referring to President Donald Trump as her husband during her first official press conference. The 41-year-old spokesperson abruptly cut the briefing short after just 14 minutes following the verbal slip-up, drawing sharp media criticism while receiving praise from Trump.

Awkward moment highlights brief briefing session

The awkward exchange occurred when a reporter questioned how Zacharia planned to balance her demanding White House duties with raising four children. While acknowledging her spouse, film producer Tyler Zacharia, she stumbled over her words during the response:

"My President — excuse me, my husband — is out here," Zacharia said, attempting to brush off the moment before exiting the briefing room shortly after.

While publications labelled the performance a rocky start, Trump publicly defended his new press chief before departing for Alaska, telling reporters, "I thought she did excellent. She did very well."

Who is Katie Zacharia? Background and career

Zacharia steps into the high-profile press role, replacing outgoing secretary Karoline Leavitt as the administration navigates key political messaging ahead of upcoming elections:

Professional history: Former spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security and communications adviser for Trump Media & Technology Group.

Media & commentary: Frequent political commentator on Fox News advocating for conservative policies.

Education & credentials: Graduate of Pepperdine University, holding a law degree earned in 2011 alongside undergraduate leadership in College Republicans.

ALSO READ | US Navy's 251st birthday gaffe: American politicians mistakenly use images of Indian and Russian warships

Stay informed on all the latest news, real-time breaking news updates, and follow all the important headlines in india news and world news on Zee News.