Zacharia’s brief tenure was marked by questions about her credentials and her handling of her first press briefing on Tuesday
US President Donald Trump’s new press secretary, Katie Zacharia, has been “let go” from the role less than a week after her appointment, a White House official told Reuters on Friday.The development came after Trump told reporters that he had advised Zacharia to reconsider the job, citing the intense criticism and pressure associated with the position.
The New York Times, citing three people familiar with the matter, reported that she had been fired.Speaking to reporters as he left the White House for a rally in Georgia, Trump said he wanted Zacharia to be happy and questioned whether the role was right for her.“I told her: 'I think you're better off being happy, and I'm not sure you can ever be happy in this stuff. There's nothing easy about this stuff,” he said.Trump also recounted telling her: “Katie, do you need this? I don't think you need this.”Zacharia’s brief tenure was marked by questions about her credentials and her handling of her first press briefing on Tuesday. She took questions from three reporters, all representing conservative-leaning or Trump-friendly outlets, before leaving after about 14 minutes.She later said she had kept the briefing short to ensure Trump had enough time for his own interaction with reporters and that she had not been fully briefed by White House staff beforehand.
The scrutiny intensified after reports questioned her description of herself as a lawyer despite not having passed a bar examination. Zacharia maintained that the term was appropriate when providing legal analysis and said she had worked as a lawyer in China.
Who is Katie Zacharia?
Zacharia is a Pepperdine University law graduate who previously worked in communications for Trump Media, the company behind the president’s social media platform, Truth Social.
She also briefly worked at the Department of Homeland Security during Trump’s second administration.Trump announced her appointment on October 9, replacing Karoline Leavitt, who became the youngest person to serve as White House press secretary.In a Fox News appearance on Friday, Zacharia was asked whether she had Trump’s confidence. “I hope to be able to build the trust and confidence of everyone around me,” she said. She did not specify when she would hold her next press briefing.