Trump pardoned her. Now Angela Stanton-King wants a spot behind the White House podium

The conservative activist is pitching herself for the press secretary job after Katie Zacharia’s five-day tenure ended, joining a growing scramble among Trump allies for the high-profile role.

Angela Stanton-King, a conservative activist who received a presidential pardon from Donald Trump in 2020, is making a public pitch to become the president’s next White House press secretary after the previous officeholder’s brief tenure ended abruptly.

In a post on Threads, Stanton-King argued that the White House needs a spokesperson who will speak bluntly and defend the president without hesitation.

“At the end of the day, what the White House needs is a Press Secretary who’s not afraid to STAND on the truth, SPEAK the truth, has common sense, a sharp tongue, and ZERO tolerance for bullshit,” she wrote.

“No scripts. No sugarcoating. No backing down,” she continued before addressing Trump directly.

“President Trump, appoint ME. I promise I’ll get the job DONE,” Stanton-King wrote, predicting that her appointment would make headlines and that “the group chats would be in SHAMBLES.”

View on Threads

Her post came after Katie Zacharia left the press secretary position on Oct. 16, just five days after beginning the job. The departure followed criticism of Zacharia’s first White House press briefing and questions about her professional credentials, including her claim to have practiced law despite not having passed the California bar exam.

According to Reuters, Trump publicly suggested that Zacharia reconsider the position before her departure was confirmed. The president said he had encouraged her to think about whether the demanding job was right for her. The White House has not publicly announced Stanton-King as a replacement, and there is no confirmed indication that she is being considered for the role.

Stanton-King is not the only Trump ally to publicly express interest in the opening. Conservative activist Laura Loomer also floated herself for the job on social media shortly after Zacharia’s departure became public. Loomer wrote on X, “Hear me out: Press Secretary Laura Loomer,” and later joked about changing her hair color to resemble previous press secretaries. Her posts prompted coverage from several outlets, including Mediaite and The Washington Post.

The public pitches come as the administration faces renewed attention over staffing decisions and the high-profile role of communicating the president’s positions to the press. The press secretary is responsible for answering reporters’ questions, explaining administration policy and responding to scrutiny of the president’s actions.

Stanton-King’s connection to Trump dates back several years. On Feb. 18, 2020, Trump granted her a full presidential pardon for a federal conviction stemming from her role in a car theft ring. She had served prison time after being convicted in 2004 on federal conspiracy charges, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and the Justice Department’s published clemency records.

After receiving the pardon, Stanton-King entered electoral politics. She ran as a Republican in Georgia’s 5th Congressional District in 2020, initially challenging the late civil rights leader Rep. John Lewis before Democrat Nikema Williams became the party’s nominee following Lewis’ death. Williams won the general election.

Stanton-King has since continued her work as an author, criminal justice advocate, and conservative political commentator. Her official biography identifies her as the founder of the American King Foundation, which focuses on family reunification and pathways to justice and economic stability. She has also appeared on conservative media platforms.

Stanton-King’s pardon and political history provide context for her relationship with Trump, but they do not establish that she has influence over the administration’s hiring decisions. Her Threads post is a public expression of interest, not evidence of an official application, interview or offer.

She also shared an image depicting herself standing at the White House briefing room podium alongside her post. The image’s origin has not been independently verified, and it should not be treated as evidence that she recently visited the White House.

For now, the administration has not announced a permanent replacement for Zacharia. Stanton-King’s bid remains a public pitch, and whether Trump will select another spokesperson from his circle remains to be seen.