White House Press Secretary Quits After Five Days In Job
White House Press Secretary Quits After Five Days In Job
White House Press Secretary Katie Zacharia is leaving her position just five days after taking up the role, following criticism of her first press briefing and questions about her professional qualifications.
A White House official confirmed her departure to Agence France-Presse (AFP) on Friday, describing her as “transitioning” out of the role. The development came after United States President Donald Trump suggested she reconsider remaining in the position.
Speaking to reporters on Friday, Trump said he had advised Zacharia to reconsider the job, arguing that she had faced harsh treatment from the media.
“I said to her, ‘Honestly, if I were you, I’d reconsider. You think about it,’” Trump said.
Zacharia was appointed on October 9 as the successor to Karoline Leavitt and delivered her first White House press briefing on October 13.
The briefing lasted about 15 minutes, during which she took questions from three reporters. Her performance attracted criticism, with questions raised about her preparedness for the high-profile position.
She also faced scrutiny over her legal qualifications after confirming in an interview with Fox News that she had failed the California bar examination and did not hold a law licence in the United States.Read Daily News
Zacharia graduated from Pepperdine University’s law school in 2011 and said she moved to China with her husband after taking the examination. She maintained that her subsequent work with a Chinese law firm did not require a licence to practise law.
Before her appointment, Zacharia worked as a conservative commentator, held communications roles at Trump Media and Technology Group, which operates the president’s Truth Social platform, and briefly worked in the Department of Homeland Security’s press office.
Trump said Zacharia had suffered under media scrutiny and expressed concern about the effect of the job on her personal life.
Her departure is among the shortest tenures for a senior White House communications official in recent history. Anthony Scaramucci, who served as White House communications director during Trump’s first administration, held the position for 10 days in 2017.
As of Friday, the White House had not announced a replacement for Zacharia. Reports indicated she could remain in the administration in another capacity, although her next role had not been confirmed.
