Gov. Kathy Hochul’s press office is facing criticism after it appeared to mock new White House press secretary Katie Zacharia’s debut on Tuesday, posting a photo of former Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers moments before the injury that ended his 2023 season.
The governor’s press account shared the image in response to a White House post announcing, “Your new White House Press Sec, @KatieZacharia, makes her debut at the podium.” The photo shows Rodgers carrying an American flag before his first regular-season snaps for the Jets on Sept. 11, 2023. He tore his left Achilles tendon just four offensive plays into that game against the Buffalo Bills and missed the rest of the season.
Hochul’s office did not include any written explanation alongside the image, though the pairing appeared intended to compare Zacharia’s debut to Rodgers’ abruptly curtailed one. The governor’s office did not respond to a request from OutKick asking what the intended analogy was.
The post has drawn pointed criticism given Hochul’s own recent press office scandal. Her former press secretary, Avi Small, resigned on July 4, 2025, after being placed on leave pending an investigation into a sexual harassment complaint, according to her office. Small was accused of inappropriately touching a fellow staffer at an Albany bar following a June 16 staff event.
Hochul’s office has said that investigation “substantively concluded” but has not disclosed its findings. At the time of Small’s departure, communications director Anthony Hogrebe said, “Governor Hochul has zero tolerance for misconduct by any New York State employee,” adding that Small was placed on leave as soon as the complaint reached the governor’s office.
Hochul later defended how her administration handled the matter, telling reporters, “the culture was changed, the system worked.”
Zacharia took over the White House press secretary role after President Donald Trump named her to succeed Karoline Leavitt last Friday. Her first briefing lasted roughly 14 minutes and ended with her directing reporters to question Trump before his trip to Alaska. Trump later praised her performance, telling reporters, “I thought she did excellent. She did very good.” The White House also issued a statement commending her debut briefing.
Hochul’s press account has built a reputation for combative posts aimed at the Trump administration. In a March interview with City & State, her rapid-response director described the account as a tool for pushing back against attacks from the administration.
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