WASHINGTON — With the midterm elections about two weeks away, unsettling signals are emerging from the White House. Katie Zachariah, the newly appointed press secretary who faced allegations of falsely claiming legal credentials, was abruptly dismissed after just four days, and rumors of a power struggle have surfaced suggesting Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, widely seen as the administration's most powerful figure, was behind the removal. Speculation is also rife that Wiles herself faces imminent replacement as her rift with President Donald Trump widens. Local media say the White House has been engulfed in infighting as Republican prospects in the midterms dim.
According to Bloomberg and other outlets, Zachariah, who began work on the 12th, was dismissed on the 16th, four days later. Analysts say the White House ultimately removed her as controversy over her legal credentials intensified. But some observers suggest Wiles orchestrated the dismissal. Zachariah appeared on Fox News on consecutive occasions — the night of the 15th and the morning of the 16th — in an attempt to quell the controversy surrounding her. Instead, her responses to the anchor's questions — including remarks to the effect that she had consulted legal experts and been told it was acceptable to describe herself as a lawyer — only added fuel to the fire, and she was dismissed on the afternoon of the 16th, immediately after the interview aired. The claim is that a group of officials centered on Wiles arranged the interview that led to Zachariah's removal. Trump is said to have made the decision to hire Zachariah without adequately consulting Wiles and other aides.
Meanwhile, speculation is spreading that Wiles's own position has weakened and that her replacement is imminent. U.S. online outlet Politico recently reported that Trump has been asking associates about Wiles's reputation while searching for a successor. Reuters, citing multiple sources, reported that Trump has questioned why James Blair, a former White House deputy chief of staff who is close to both the president and Wiles, is involved in overseas business at a time when he should be running the midterm campaign. Blair drew criticism after a recent visit to Republika Srpska, the Serb autonomous entity, where he received a large sum from a pro-Russian far-right party. Blair runs MAGA Inc., Trump's super PAC, or political fundraising committee.
Trump has publicly said Wiles "will be in that position for a long time," but expectations are growing that she will leave her post after the midterms, whether by choice or not.
The mood comes as expectations mount that Republicans will struggle in the midterms. The Washington Post reported that internal Republican polling showed support for the party's candidates dropped sharply after the September midterm convention in Dallas, Texas. Republican strategists have accepted defeat in the House as a given and put the party's chances of holding a Senate majority at 50-50. Amid this, figures within MAGA, short for Make America Great Again, continue to make extreme arguments that martial law should be declared, citing concerns about midterm election fraud. On the 17th, by contrast, large-scale "No Kings" rallies were held across the United States to protest what demonstrators call Trump's one-man rule.
On the 16th, Trump waived application of the Lindsey Graham-sponsored Russia and Iran sanctions act, which imposes high tariffs on countries that purchase Russian energy. The move is seen as a step to increase supplies of Russian diesel ahead of the election, but it drew a torrent of criticism even from within his own party.
Separately, at a midterm campaign rally in Dalton, Georgia, on the 16th, Trump said: "Hyundai announced it will invest $560 million to expand its plant in West Point, Georgia." The remark appears to refer to an earlier investment announcement by Hyundai Transys, an auto parts affiliate of Hyundai Motor Group.