Trump Fires Katie Zacharia as White House Press Secretary After 5 Days
The New York Times first reported her ouster; CNN, USA Today, NBC News and Fox News all confirmed it Friday. Trump said he told her to reconsider after a rocky debut week.
President Trump has fired Katie Zacharia as White House press secretary, ending her tenure five days after it began.
The New York Times first reported the ouster Friday afternoon. CNN, USA Today, NBC News and Fox News all confirmed it afterward. A White House official described Zacharia as “transitioning out” of the role, and a Trump adviser said she would leave the White House in the next few days.
Trump told reporters earlier in the day that he had urged her to reconsider the job. “Honestly, if I were you, I’d reconsider,” Trump said he told her Friday morning. “Katie, do you need this? I don’t think you need this.”
He said Zacharia had been treated badly by the press and praised her as a loyal supporter. He also made clear he did not think she was suited to speak for the administration. “Maybe it’s not for her,” he said. He said he would leave the final decision to her.
Zacharia started Monday, succeeding Karoline Leavitt. Her first briefing on Tuesday lasted about 14 minutes, with questions from only a few outlets. She consulted her notes at the podium and could not answer a question about U.S. intelligence-sharing with Ukraine.
She also faced scrutiny over her legal background. Zacharia had described herself as a lawyer but acknowledged this week that she did not pass the California bar exam.
A source close to Trump told CNN that he still likes and respects Zacharia personally, and that she and her family were having dinner Friday night with Vice President JD Vance and his family. The exit is the shortest tenure for a White House press secretary on record — Anthony Scaramucci lasted 11 days as communications director in 2017.
