President Donald Trump fired his new press
secretary, Katie Zacharia, on Friday, Oct. 16, after she had spent only five
days in the job, advisers told CNN. The New York Times reported the news first.
The White House has not given an official reason for her exit. Katie Zacharia out as
White House press secretary less than a week on the job, reports say +2
Accounts of how she left
differ. A White House official told CNN she was “transitioning out” of the
role, and a Trump adviser said she would leave the White House within days.
Earlier on Friday, Trump told reporters he had asked her to reconsider the job
after her first days drew tough press coverage. kioncentralcoastcanberratimes
What Trump said
Trump said the media had
treated Zacharia badly and called her a loyal supporter, but he made clear he
did not think she was suited to be his chief spokesperson. He said he asked
her, “Katie, do you need this?” A source close to the president told CNN that
Trump still likes and respects her. kioncentralcoast.com +2
When the Times first
reported her firing, neither Zacharia nor the White House had responded to
requests for comment. Al Jazeera later reported that she wrote on X that
working for Trump had been an honor. bostonAl Jazeera
Why she lost the job
No confirmed cause has
been given, but the reporting points to two issues.
Zacharia started on
Monday and held her debut briefing on Tuesday, Oct. 13. The Times described the
briefing as bumpy and said it was followed by headlines questioning whether she
had misrepresented herself as a lawyer. Al Jazeera reported that the briefing
lasted 14 minutes, with three questions from reporters, and drew criticism even
from some of Trump’s allies. new white house press secretary fired
after days in job +2
The second issue is her
legal background. The Times reported that she had failed her bar exam, and
noted that Trump had called her an attorney. Zacharia said on Fox News that no
one asked her about passing the bar before she took the job. Trump later said
she was hired as a spokesperson, not as an attorney. bostonwowt
How she got the job
Trump announced her
appointment on Oct. 9 as the successor to Karoline Leavitt. Zacharia had worked
in communications for Trump Media, the company that oversees his Truth Social
platform. She had also drawn Trump’s attention as a conservative television commentator.
Katie Zacharia out as White House
press secretary less than a week on the job, reports say +2
CNN reported that the
hiring moved quickly after other candidates were ruled out over critical
comments they had made about Trump. Two people familiar with the discussions
said Trump wanted a spokesperson who could better promote his achievements.
None of the reports reviewed describe how Zacharia was vetted, and the White
House has not addressed the question. kioncentralcoastcanberratimes
A possible record
Her exit is believed to
be the shortest tenure of any press secretary. Al Jazeera compared it with
Anthony Scaramucci’s 10 days in 2017. Scaramucci was communications director,
not press secretary, so the comparison is not exact. The record claim comes
from media reports and has not been checked against official records. canberratimesAl Jazeera
What comes next
Trump told Fox in a
phone interview that he was in no rush to name a new press secretary. As of
Sunday, Oct. 18, the reports reviewed did not name a successor or say who will
handle White House briefings in the meantime. canberratimes
Post a Comment