Salena Zito is an American journalist and author. [1]
Zito hails from Pennsylvania and is a longtime newspaper journalist who was a columnist for the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review and the New York Post . [2] Her 2018 book The Great Revolt was praised by Donald Trump. [2] Zito denied claims that she fabricated quotes in her reporting in a New York Post story headlined “The Twitter trolls attacking my work are all wrong“. [2] [3] [4] She is a reporter for the Washington Examiner and a contributor to the Washington Post where she is known for her reporting on populism in American politics.
On July 13, 2024, Zito was standing feet from the presidential podium during the Butler, Pennsylvania assassination attempt on Donald Trump, and was tackled to the ground by a campaign staffer as bullets flew over her head. She spoke to Trump several times in the immediate aftermath. [5]
In 2025, Hachette’s Center Street imprint published Zito’s book, Butler, about the Trump assassination attempt and Trump’s subsequent electoral victory in the heartland. The book debuted as a #1 New York Times bestseller. [6] Trump, in a social media post, called the book "powerful." [7] It was reported that Zito has sold the rights for the book to be adapted into a movie. [8]
In 2024, Zito received the Media Research Center Bulldog Award. [9]