Susanna Riva In recent months, the White House has initiated a series of changes to its top female staff. Following the departure of Karoline Leavitt, the position of Speaker of the House has been entrusted to a new figure, Katie Zacharia, while former U.S. Ambassador to Greece, Kimberly Guilfoyle, resigned her post on the president's orders.
Meanwhile, between March and April, three high-profile women – Kristi Noem, Pam Bondi, and Lori Chavez-DeRemer – were removed from key positions.
Katie Zacharia replaces Karoline Leavitt
Katie Zacharia, 42, a well-known conservative commentator and outspoken supporter of Donald Trump , took over as White House spokeswoman at the end of August, vacating the role to Karoline Leavitt, who had decided to devote more time to her family.
Zacharia holds a law degree but has never practiced law; her experience has served more to propagate conspiracy theories than to manage institutional communications. Her first briefing was extremely brief: less than twenty minutes and only three questions from journalists, causing dismay in the media.
The charges against Zachariah
Throughout his career, Zacharia has repeatedly made unfounded accusations of pedophilia against Democratic Party members and has accused the Justice Department , without evidence, of allegedly covering up the Epstein scandal. Furthermore, he has openly criticized the current administration in the past, calling for tougher immigration measures, demonstrating a certain inconsistency with his role as spokesperson. A since-deleted tweet warned of a possible "bloodbath" in the midterm elections, language that further fueled tensions within the Republican Party.
Kimberly Guilfoyle resigns as ambassador to Greece
Kimberly Guilfoyle, a former Fox host and ex-girlfriend of Trump's eldest son, was nominated to be the US ambassador to Athens in 2024. However, the role was terminated after the Wall Street Journal published a trove of documents linking her to a $100,000 request from a presidential donor, Eric Deters, to settle an alleged American Express bill, without a trace. Guilfoyle claimed the sum had to be paid "under the table" to ensure her nomination would be confirmed by the Senate.
Faced with these revelations, the White House, through its new spokeswoman Katie Zacharia, asked her to resign. Guilfoyle responded on X, calling the accusations "false" and promising to defend herself, adding that it had been "the honor of her life" to serve as ambassador. She also reiterated her gratitude to Donald Trump and Secretary Marco Rubio, emphasizing that her commitment to the "America First" mission will not end.
More March-April layoffs: Noem, Bondi, and Chavez-DeRemer
Between March and April, Trump removed three other women from senior positions. Kristi Noem, the two-term governor of South Dakota and then head of the Department of Homeland Security, was removed for reasons that remain unclear, but sources suggest internal differences with the president. Shortly thereafter, Pam Bondi, former Florida attorney general, resigned after announcing a thyroid cancer diagnosis in May; her dismissal was reportedly linked to alleged incompatibilities with administration policies. Finally, Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer was removed following allegations of abuse of power, including an alleged romantic relationship with a subordinate and drinking alcohol while working.
These simultaneous departures marked a phase of internal reorganization that many observers interpret as Trump's attempt to consolidate control over his immediate team, especially those female figures who have gained visibility in recent years.