US President Donald Trump has dismissed White House Press Secretary Katie Zacharia after just one week in the position, according to presidential advisers cited by CNN, following intense scrutiny of her first press briefing and questions surrounding her professional credentials.
The decision came Friday, after Trump publicly suggested that Zacharia should reconsider whether she wanted to continue serving as his administration's chief spokesperson.
Speaking to reporters before departing the White House for a political rally in Georgia, Trump revealed that he had discussed her future with her earlier that morning.
“Honestly, if I were you, I’d reconsider," Trump said he had told Zacharia.
The President indicated that he intended to speak with her again upon returning to Washington and initially suggested that the final decision would be hers.
However, his comments made clear that he had serious reservations about her remaining in the position.
“Katie, do you need this?" Trump recalled asking her. “I don’t think you need this."
Although Trump defended Zacharia against what he described as unfair treatment by the media and praised her loyalty, he acknowledged that the responsibilities of the press secretary might not be appropriate for her.
“Maybe it’s not for her," he said.
A senior White House official subsequently confirmed to Fox News that Zacharia was "transitioning out" of the role.
Her departure follows a difficult first week that began with her appointment on October 9 and included a widely criticized debut in the White House briefing room on October 13.
Zacharia's first briefing lasted approximately 14 minutes, during which she answered questions from only three reporters.
The appearance attracted attention for several verbal mistakes, including an instance in which she inadvertently referred to her husband as "my president" before correcting herself.
Her performance, combined with questions about her background, prompted criticism from members of the press and scrutiny among Trump administration officials.
The controversy intensified Thursday evening when Zacharia appeared on Fox News' "Hannity" and was questioned about her professional qualifications.
Trump had described Zacharia as an attorney when announcing her appointment, but she acknowledged during the interview that she had not passed the bar examination and had never obtained a license to practice law in the United States.
Explaining why she had taken the examination despite knowing she would be moving overseas, Zacharia said, "I had already pre-registered for the bar exam, and basically during the summer, I knew I would be living in China and the result of the bar would be inconsequential. I sat for it because I didn't want to have a withdraw status."
Zacharia also defended her performance during the October 13 briefing, emphasizing that she had been given very little time to prepare for the high-profile assignment.
"What I feel is I really stepped up to the plate with very little prep time," Zacharia said. "Given the fact that I'd been on the job less than maybe eight hours and had a briefing book in the morning, I feel like I did my very best, Sean, to deliver for the American people that day."
Before joining the White House, Zacharia served as a senior communications adviser to Trump Media & Technology Group, the company behind Trump's Truth Social platform.
She had also held positions at the Department of Homeland Security, including deputy assistant secretary for public affairs and departmental spokesperson.
(Arutz Sheva-Israel National News' North American desk is keeping you updated until the start of Shabbat in New York. The time posted automatically on all Israel National News articles, however, is Israeli time.)