Katie Zacharia’s Adoption Story and the Media Storm

The Phone Call That Saved a Life: Katie Zacharia’s Adoption Story, a Rocky First Week and What Christians Should Take From Both

Katie Zacharia

The job of White House Press Secretary is one of the most scrutinised in the world. Anyone who takes it can expect to be examined, criticised and, in some cases, mocked from the first day. This month, that experience has fallen to Katie Zacharia, who was named to the role by President Donald Trump on 9 October and gave her first briefing four days later.

A recent commentary on The Daily Declaration by Rod Lampard argues that the legacy media piled on her from the start, and that behind the headlines lies a more important story: her testimony about how she came to be born. This post takes up both threads. It looks at the adoption story and what it says about life and compassion, at the coverage and the questions that have been raised about her, and at how Christians can respond fairly to a public figure whose politics they may or may not share.

It’s an area where convictions run strongly, so we’ve tried to be accurate, fair and kind.

Who Is Katie Zacharia?

According to the Daily Declaration commentary and other reporting:

• Her background. She’s a political commentator, wife and mother of four, who speaks Chinese and has a law degree and a political science degree from Pepperdine University. Her CV includes two years working as an associate at the Zhong Lun Law Firm in Beijing and time as a media adviser.
• Her views. She’s a Christian and anti-abortion, and serves on the board of advisors of the pro-life group White Rose Resistance.
• Her appointment. The President named her as White House Press Secretary on 9 October 2026, succeeding Karoline Leavitt, who announced her resignation in August. Reports say that the President was impressed by her television appearances.
• Her first briefing. It took place on Tuesday 13 October, lasted about 15 minutes and took three questions. ABC News reported that she spent about eight minutes reading from a script. She announced the departure of a senior official, and she’s said that she cut the event short because of the President’s trip to Alaska.

Her Story: A Phone Call That Changed Everything

The heart of the commentary is Zacharia’s own testimony, which she gave in an interview about a year ago and has also shared on social media.

According to her account:

• Her biological mother was a 19-year-old single woman with a difficult background, who was pregnant and didn’t know what to do.
• Her mother had an appointment to end the pregnancy at 10 am. Her aunt had arrived to drive her there.
• Before she left, she received two phone calls. The first, from the baby’s biological father, urged her to go ahead with the abortion. The second, from a Christian counsellor, gently encouraged her to consider adoption.
• Zacharia says her mother then walked out to her aunt and said she wasn’t going. Despite the anger and dismay of her family, she carried the pregnancy to term.
• Zacharia was adopted as a newborn. She learned the story when she met her biological mother at 18. “That phone call really saved my life,” she says.

It’s a moving account, and one that illustrates something that people on all sides of the abortion debate can recognise: for a frightened young woman, the voices around her matter enormously, and so does the practical help that’s on offer.

A Note on Language: “Abortion Survivor”

The Daily Declaration commentary describes Zacharia as an “abortion survivor,” and its description says she survived an “abortion attempt.” It’s worth being precise here, both for accuracy and out of respect for others.

As Zacharia tells it, she was about twenty to thirty minutes away from her mother’s appointment when the plan changed. In that sense, her life was saved from an abortion that didn’t happen. That’s different from being born alive after a procedure was attempted, which is the experience of other people who identify as abortion survivors and who tell a different, often more painful, story.

It doesn’t diminish her testimony, which stands on its own. It’s a reminder that accurate terms help us tell true stories, and avoid giving critics grounds to dismiss an otherwise powerful account.

The Media Reaction

The commentary argues that the media gave Zacharia no grace. It’s worth separating the different kinds of criticism that have been reported.

Reaction to her performance. Several outlets described the first briefing as awkward, nervous or short. Defenders point out that she’d been in the job for only about a day. Former press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said she was commendable for briefing within 24 hours, and broadcaster Megyn Kelly said that she deserved a chance and that anyone would be nervous. These are fair points: first appearances in any high-pressure role are rarely polished, and judging someone on a single quarter-hour is harsh.

Reaction to her views. Some outlets repeatedly describe her as “anti-abortion,” which is a standard descriptor but one that her supporters feel is loaded, preferring “pro-life.” That’s a long-running debate about labels in journalism, and it applies in both directions.

Questions about a past statement. USA Today and others noted that Zacharia has previously claimed that the abortion pill mifepristone has the same chemicals that were used in the Nazi extermination camps. That claim is false. Zyklon B, the gas used in the camps, was a form of hydrogen cyanide, while mifepristone is a synthetic steroid that blocks the hormone progesterone. The Auschwitz Memorial has also publicly criticised such comparisons. Whatever one’s view of abortion, Christians should insist on accuracy. Comparisons like this are not only wrong on the facts, but they offend many who might otherwise listen, including Holocaust survivors and their families.

Questions about her legal credentials. This is the most substantive controversy and deserves a fair hearing. According to NBC News, after the briefing a reporter asked where she passed the bar exam. The State Bar of California told NBC that it has no record of her being licensed in California. Her online profile lists her as general counsel of Fix California, an organisation founded by Richard Grenell. ABC News reports that she has defended her legal background while acknowledging that she failed the bar before moving to China. A watchdog group, the Campaign for Accountability, has asked the State Bar of California to investigate whether she improperly described herself as a lawyer, noting that in California, calling yourself a lawyer without a licence is a crime.

The Daily Declaration commentary treats this as part of an attempt to find dirt, and suggests the scrutiny is excessive. But questions about whether a public official accurately describes her own qualifications are legitimate for any person in any administration, and they deserve a clear and honest answer. They shouldn’t be dismissed, and they shouldn’t be inflated before the facts are in. The Bar’s process, and Zacharia’s own explanation, will determine what, if anything, was improper.

A Fair Way to Judge Public Figures

How should Christians approach coverage of a public figure they might admire? A few principles:

• Apply the same standard to everyone. The media-literacy lessons we discussed in a recent post apply here too. If we’d want a Democratic official’s credentials examined, we should accept scrutiny of a Republican’s; if we’d object to unfair pile-ons against a Republican, we should object to unfair pile-ons against a Democrat.
• Distinguish the person from the controversy. A shaky first briefing, an inaccurate comparison and a question about credentials are three different things, with different weight. We should avoid lumping them together, either to condemn or to excuse.
• Wait for the facts. The Bar’s response, her own clarifications and further reporting will tell us more. Proverbs 18:13 warns that giving an answer before hearing is folly and shame.
• Don’t confuse criticism with persecution. Public officials will be criticised. Sometimes the criticism is unfair, sometimes it’s fair, and sometimes it’s both. Calling every critical question “persecution” can make it harder to recognise real hostility when it happens.
• Pray for leaders (1 Timothy 2:1–2), whether or not we voted for them.

What Her Story Says About Life, Adoption and Support

Setting aside the politics, Zacharia’s account points to some profound themes that are worth reflecting on.

The power of one conversation. A single phone call from a counsellor, offered with care, changed the course of two lives. It’s a reminder that pregnancy support is not just a policy, but a ministry of presence and encouragement.

Adoption as a picture of the gospel. The New Testament uses adoption to describe the heart of salvation. Ephesians 1:5 says God predestined us for adoption as his children through Jesus Christ. Romans 8:15 says we received a spirit of adoption, by which we cry “Abba, Father.” Galatians 4:4–7 describes God sending his Son so that we might receive adoption. Adopted children, and the families who adopt them, can embody something of that story.

God’s care for the fatherless. Psalm 68:5–6 says God is a father to the fatherless and sets the lonely in families. James 1:27 defines pure religion as caring for orphans and widows in their distress. The Bible’s adopted figures, including Moses (Exodus 2:10) and Esther (Esther 2:7), remind us that God uses adopted children in remarkable ways.

The need for practical help. The young mother in this story was 19, had a tough background and faced anger from her family. What made the difference was a counsellor who showed that there was another path. Christians who care about the unborn should also care about the practical realities of mothers: housing, income, family support and adoption services.

Our Take

Here’s where we’d like to add some commentary.

1. Celebrate the testimony, with accuracy.

Zacharia’s story of a mother who chose life under pressure is a good one, and Christians can give thanks for it. Describing it precisely, as a life that was minutes from an abortion appointment, serves the story better than language that could be misunderstood.

2. Judge the coverage fairly.

Some of the commentary about her first briefing was mocking, and some was fair. Some questions were opportunistic, and some were legitimate. Christians who want fair treatment for public figures they admire should be willing to say where criticism is fair.

3. Insist on truthful comparisons.

Equating a pharmaceutical with the poison used in the Holocaust is inaccurate, and it undermines the credibility of the person making it. The pro-life case is strongest when it rests on facts and moral reasoning rather than inflammatory analogies.

4. Let honesty about qualifications matter.

Whether or not you support the administration, the integrity of a public servant’s description of their own credentials matters. We’d want the same standard applied to politicians from any party. If a clear explanation or correction is needed, it’s best given quickly and plainly.

5. Look past the headlines to the people.

Behind every story about abortion or adoption are real people: a scared 19-year-old, a family under strain, a child who grows up and speaks. We can hold our convictions firmly and still treat people on every side as image-bearers of God.

6. Make practical support the main answer.

If we believe that a phone call can change a life, we should be doing more to make sure that such calls and the help that follows are available: pregnancy support, adoption services, foster care and church communities that welcome single mothers.

7. Keep political leaders in prayer.

Whatever we think of Ms Zacharia’s politics or qualifications, we’re called to pray for those who serve in public office, for wisdom, honesty and integrity.

The Other Side of the Conversation

In fairness, here are other perspectives:

• Her critics would say that a press secretary has a particular responsibility to be accurate, that comparisons like the one she made about mifepristone and the camps are false and harmful, and that questions about her legal title are important for public trust.
• Her supporters would say that she’s been in the job for days, that the standards applied to her are harsher than those applied to others, and that the focus on her résumé and nerves is a distraction from the substance of the administration’s message.
• Supporters of abortion rights would say that her story is moving but doesn’t change the reality that many women face situations where abortion is the right choice, and that policy should centre on the autonomy and health of women. Some would also point out that adoption isn’t a straightforward answer: it can be emotionally difficult for birth mothers and adoptees alike.
• Adoptees and birth mothers hold a range of views. Some are grateful, some are conflicted, and some have experienced adoption as a loss. Their voices deserve to be heard with respect, and no single story speaks for everyone.
• Independent observers may simply say that it’s too early to judge her performance, and that it will take months, not days, to see how she handles the role.

A thoughtful reader can hold respect for her story, concern for accuracy, and fairness in the way she’s treated, all at once.

What You Can Do

• Pray for Katie Zacharia and her family, for the President and his team, and for wisdom and honesty in public life.
• Support pregnancy help centres, adoption services and foster care, and offer practical help to a mother in need.
• Learn about adoption and consider whether your family or church could be involved, directly or through support.
• Check the facts before sharing claims about public figures, in either direction.
• Be a voice of encouragement to someone who is facing an unplanned pregnancy, with no pressure and no judgement.

If You Are Facing an Unplanned Pregnancy

If you’re pregnant and unsure what to do, you don’t have to face it alone. In Australia, the Pregnancy, Birth and Baby helpline offers free, confidential information and support on 1800 882 436, and Lifeline is available any time on 13 11 14. If you’re experiencing pressure, violence or coercion, 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732) can help. A trusted doctor, counsellor or pastor can also walk with you, and your state or territory adoption agency can explain what adoption involves.

Questions to Reflect On

• Who has spoken a timely word into my life that changed its direction?
• How could I be the “phone call” for someone facing a hard decision?
• Do I hold the public figures I admire to the same standard of scrutiny as those I don’t?
• How can I speak about difficult issues in a way that is accurate and kind?
• What would it look like for my church to be a place where mothers, babies and adoptive families are welcomed and supported?

A Short Prayer

Father, you are the one who sets the lonely in families and who adopts us as your own through Jesus. We thank you for every life that has been spared and every family that has opened its arms. Bless mothers who face hard choices, and give them people who will speak kindly and help generously. Give honesty and wisdom to all who serve in public office, and keep us fair in our judgements and truthful in our words. Make your church a refuge for the vulnerable and a witness to your love. Amen.