Katie Zacharia is out as White House press secretary after just five days on the job. She was let go on October 16, capping the shortest tenure ever for the role, well under Anthony Scaramucci’s 11 days as communications director in 2017.
Her exit followed a rough first week. Her debut briefing on October 13 ran about 14 minutes and took questions from only three outlets, Breitbart News, Fox News and the Daily Mail, drawing immediate criticism over her limited engagement with reporters. She also faced mounting questions about her legal background; Zacharia graduated from Pepperdine University’s law school but failed the California bar exam and is not licensed to practice law.
According to USA Today, five sources familiar with the decision confirmed the ouster, including three senior White House officials. Hours before the news broke, President Donald Trump told reporters he had asked Zacharia to “reconsider” whether the job was right for her, saying she had been treated “very rough” and “very unfairly” by the media. A White House official later told Fox News she was “transitioning out,” with NBC News reporting she was expected to move into another role to be announced later.
Zacharia addressed her exit in a social media post that evening, writing that it was “an honor” to work with Trump and praising him as “a kind, wonderful, gracious, thoughtful, enthusiastic, and hardworking man.” She had been handpicked by the president with an on-the-spot job offer and succeeded Karoline Leavitt, who stepped down in August. It is not yet clear who will take the podium next or when.
Source: USA Today
