New White House press secretary Katie Zacharia spotted as Trump departs for Ohio rally – with Jake Paul and Jon Gruden 

By New York Post (U.S.) | Created at 2026-10-12 23:06:56 | Updated at 2026-10-12 23:56:00 1 hour ago

See more of our coverage in your search results.

White House press secretary Katie Zacharia was spotted Monday, her first official day on the job, as President Trump boarded his helicopter to head to a rally with Jake Paul and Jon Gruden. 

Zacharia watched from a distance as Trump gaggled with reporters for several minutes before boarding Marine One. The president is traveling to Youngstown, Ohio, for a midterm election rally for Republican candidates. 

Zacharia is not accompanying the president on the trip. She’s slated to deliver her first press briefing on Tuesday. 

Zacharia is scheduled to deliver her first White House press briefing on Tuesday. ZUMAPRESS.com

Paul, a professional boxer and influencer, and Gruden, a Barstool Sports commentator and Super Bowl-winning NFL head coach, joined Trump on Marine One and are expected to appear at the Buckeye State rally. 

Paul was donning a red “America is Back” hat.

Sen. Jon Husted (R-Ohio) and Republican gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy are among the slate of candidates Trump has endorsed in Ohio.

Jake Paul is joining Trump on his trip to Ohio. REUTERS

Husted is locked in a tight race with former Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), while Ramaswamy is vying against physician and former public health official Amy Acton. 

Gruden, a native of Sandusky, Ohio, was a college teammate of Husted’s at the University of Dayton. 

The former Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Las Vegas Raiders head coach fired up the crowd at an Ohio rally for Husted, which Trump also spoke at, earlier this month. 

Zacharia watched as Trump spoke to reporters before boarding Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House. AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson

Paul is also an Ohio native and appeared alongside Trump at a Kentucky event – just across the border – earlier this year. 

Trump predicted the boxer and social media star “will be, in the not too distant future, running for political office,” at the Hebron, Ky., event. 

Read Entire Article