U.S. President Donald Trump has ended the tenure of White House Press Secretary Katie Zacharia. The decision came just five days after Zacharia began her role.
According to information attributed to the president's advisors, Zacharia's short tenure was marked by controversy due to her performance at her first press briefing and subsequent television interviews. A White House official stated to CNN that Zacharia was in the process of leaving her post, while an advisor close to Trump said the departure was expected to take place within a few days.
In a statement on Friday morning, Trump said he had spoken with Zacharia and told her to reconsider her position. Trump stated that he told her, "To be honest, if I were you, I would rethink it." The president also noted that he asked Zacharia, "Katie, do you really need this?" and said, "I don't think you need this."
As he was leaving the White House to head to a political rally in Georgia, Trump argued that Zacharia had been treated poorly by the media. Describing Zacharia as a loyal supporter, Trump nevertheless signaled that the role might not be suitable for her, remarking, "Maybe this job isn't for her."
Zacharia had caught Trump's attention as a conservative commentator on television. It was reported that Zacharia, who appeared at her first White House press briefing on Tuesday after being appointed, looked nervous and answered only three questions.
On the same day, her response to a question about where she passed the bar exam—following Trump's description of her as a "lawyer" when he appointed her—also sparked controversy. Zacharia later explained in interviews on Fox News that she had never passed the exam in question. She did not provide a clear answer regarding whether she would participate in future press briefings.
According to sources close to the discussions, Trump did not view her performance at the first press briefing as negatively as some of his advisors did. However, Zacharia's appearance on Sean Hannity's Fox News program on Thursday night and what he heard from his inner circle afterward were influential in changing the president's stance. It was reported that Trump told allies regarding Zacharia, "Maybe she wasn't ready for prime time."
Zacharia's five-day tenure was recorded as one of the shortest in White House history. This period was even shorter than the tenure of Anthony Scaramucci, who served as White House Communications Director for only 11 days in 2017.
News Source: 12punto
