Daijiworld Media Network - Washington
Washington, Oct 17: White House press secretary Katie Zacharia has been fired less than a week after taking up the role, two US officials said on Friday, following a rocky start as President Donald Trump’s chief spokesperson.
Zacharia has been “let go” and is “transitioning out” of the press secretary position, according to two separate White House officials. Her departure follows several days of scrutiny over her legal credentials and criticism of her performance during a White House briefing and media interviews.
Her exit leaves Trump without a key public spokesperson just over two weeks before the November midterm elections. The president is seeking to highlight his administration’s achievements and help Republicans retain control of Congress during the crucial election period.
Trump told reporters on Friday that he had asked Zacharia to reconsider whether she wanted to continue in the position after facing difficult media coverage during her first few days on the job.
“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,’” Trump said as he left the White House for a weekend trip.
He added that he had advised her to think carefully about whether the demanding role was right for her, saying he intended to revisit the conversation with her later.
Zacharia began her tenure on Monday and held her first White House press briefing on Tuesday. She said she received a call about the position on October 7 and was offered the job to succeed Karoline Leavitt, who had announced plans to leave the role.
Questions about Zacharia’s professional background emerged soon after her appointment. She had described her career as including work in law, and Trump had also referred to her as an attorney.
“I practiced international transaction law, with all the appropriate credentials,” Zacharia said in an emailed statement on Wednesday.
However, Reuters said it could not find records showing that the Pepperdine University law school graduate was registered as an attorney or member of the bar in any US state or the District of Columbia.
During an interview with Fox News on Thursday, Zacharia acknowledged that she had not passed the bar examination. Law school graduates in the United States must be admitted to a state bar before they can legally practise law.
Zacharia and the White House did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment on her departure. Earlier on Friday, she had told reporters at the White House that she was looking forward to working with the press.
Trump appointed Zacharia after expressing dissatisfaction with media coverage of his administration and seeking a spokesperson who could more effectively communicate his achievements, according to two people familiar with the discussions.
In a phone interview with Fox News on Friday, Trump said he was in no hurry to appoint a new press secretary.
Zacharia’s departure marks what is believed to be the shortest tenure of any White House press secretary in history. Anthony Scaramucci, who served as White House communications director for just 10 days during Trump’s first administration, commented on her exit on X.
“Records are made to be broken,” Scaramucci wrote. “But I take no pleasure in other people’s pain.”