US President Donald Trump has dismissed White House press secretary Katie Zacharia after just five days in the role, in what is believed to be the shortest tenure of any White House press secretary in history.
Two White House officials confirmed that Zacharia was "let go" and was transitioning out of the position on Friday, October 16. Her sudden departure leaves Trump without a key spokesperson less than three weeks before the November midterm elections, when the administration is seeking to promote its record and help Republicans retain control of Congress.
A rocky five days
Zacharia had been selected to replace Karoline Leavitt, who had served as White House press secretary before departing the position. Her first and only White House press briefing, held on Tuesday, October 13, lasted approximately 14 minutes. She delivered an opening statement highlighting Trump's achievements and took questions from only three reporters, all representing conservative-leaning or Trump-friendly outlets. The performance drew criticism and raised questions about her readiness for the role.
The briefing was followed by scrutiny of her legal credentials. Trump had described her as an attorney when announcing her appointment, and Zacharia had said she practised international transaction law with the appropriate credentials. However, Reuters found no records showing she was registered as an attorney or admitted to the bar in any US state or the District of Columbia. During a Fox News interview on Thursday, she acknowledged that she had not passed the bar examination.
Trump advised her to reconsider
Trump said he had earlier advised Zacharia to reconsider the job after she faced intense media scrutiny. "I think you're better off being happy, and I'm not sure you can ever be happy in this stuff," he told reporters as he left the White House for a weekend trip. He added that he was in no hurry to appoint a replacement.
Anthony Scaramucci, who served as White House communications director for 10 days during Trump's first administration, reacted to the development on X: "Records are made to be broken," he wrote, adding that he took no pleasure in another person's difficulties.
Sources: Gujarat Samachar — Trump Fires Katie Zacharia After Just Five Days as White House Press Secretary | TheWrap — Trump's New Press Secretary Katie Zacharia Fired After Less Than a Week
Two White House officials confirmed that Zacharia was "let go" and was transitioning out of the position on Friday, October 16. Her sudden departure leaves Trump without a key spokesperson less than three weeks before the November midterm elections, when the administration is seeking to promote its record and help Republicans retain control of Congress.
A rocky five days
Zacharia had been selected to replace Karoline Leavitt, who had served as White House press secretary before departing the position. Her first and only White House press briefing, held on Tuesday, October 13, lasted approximately 14 minutes. She delivered an opening statement highlighting Trump's achievements and took questions from only three reporters, all representing conservative-leaning or Trump-friendly outlets. The performance drew criticism and raised questions about her readiness for the role.
The briefing was followed by scrutiny of her legal credentials. Trump had described her as an attorney when announcing her appointment, and Zacharia had said she practised international transaction law with the appropriate credentials. However, Reuters found no records showing she was registered as an attorney or admitted to the bar in any US state or the District of Columbia. During a Fox News interview on Thursday, she acknowledged that she had not passed the bar examination.
Trump advised her to reconsider
Trump said he had earlier advised Zacharia to reconsider the job after she faced intense media scrutiny. "I think you're better off being happy, and I'm not sure you can ever be happy in this stuff," he told reporters as he left the White House for a weekend trip. He added that he was in no hurry to appoint a replacement.
Anthony Scaramucci, who served as White House communications director for 10 days during Trump's first administration, reacted to the development on X: "Records are made to be broken," he wrote, adding that he took no pleasure in another person's difficulties.
Sources: Gujarat Samachar — Trump Fires Katie Zacharia After Just Five Days as White House Press Secretary | TheWrap — Trump's New Press Secretary Katie Zacharia Fired After Less Than a Week
