US President Donald Trump has fired Katie Zacharia as White House press secretary after just five days in the role, following mounting criticism of her performance and questions about her professional background.
According to CNN, presidential advisers confirmed her departure on Friday, October 16, after Trump indicated earlier that he had advised her to reconsider remaining in the position.
“Honestly, if I were you, I’d reconsider,” Trump said he told Zacharia on Friday morning.
The president said he would speak with her again when he returned to the White House but suggested that the demanding role might not be suitable for her.
“Maybe it’s not for her,” he said.
A White House official told CNN that Zacharia was “transitioning out” of the position, while a Trump adviser said she was expected to leave the White House within days.
Despite the decision, Trump described Zacharia as a loyal supporter and said he believed the media had treated her unfairly.
Brief tenure marked by controversy
Zacharia assumed the role about a week earlier after attracting Trump’s attention as a conservative television commentator.
Her appointment followed a rapid selection process after other candidates were reportedly ruled out because of critical comments they had made about the president.
However, her first press briefing on Tuesday raised concerns among White House aides. She appeared nervous and answered only three questions from journalists.
Further scrutiny followed after questions emerged about her legal qualifications. Trump had described her as an attorney when announcing her appointment, but Zacharia later acknowledged in interviews on Fox News that she had never passed the bar examination.
Her responses during subsequent media appearances fuelled questions about her suitability for the position and whether she would return to the briefing room.
Trump aides raised concerns
Two sources familiar with discussions inside the administration told CNN that Trump initially viewed Zacharia’s first briefing more favourably than some of his advisers did.
However, her subsequent interviews, particularly a Thursday night appearance on Fox News with Sean Hannity, and conversations with allies reportedly changed his assessment.
One person with direct knowledge of Trump’s comments said the president had suggested to advisers that Zacharia might not have been ready for the demands of the job.
A source close to Trump told CNN that the president still liked and respected her personally.
The source and another individual also said Zacharia and her family were scheduled to have dinner with Vice President JD Vance and his family at the vice president’s residence on Friday.
Zacharia’s five-day stint was shorter than that of Anthony Scaramucci, who served as White House communications director for 11 days in 2017 before leaving the administration.
Her departure follows an unusually swift rise and fall in one of the White House’s most visible communications positions.
The press secretary serves as a key spokesperson for the president, answering questions from journalists and communicating the administration’s policies and decisions to the public.
CNN reported that the White House had yet to provide further details about Zacharia’s departure as the story continued to develop.
