Katie Zacharia is leaving her position as White House press secretary less than a week after President Donald Trump appointed her to replace Karoline Leavitt.
The sudden departure comes after a difficult series of television appearances, criticism of her first White House press briefing and growing questions about her legal qualifications.
A senior White House official told Fox News on Friday that Zacharia was “transitioning out” of the position, shortly after Trump publicly encouraged her to reconsider whether she wanted to continue in the role.
The president defended Zacharia, saying she had faced unusually harsh treatment from the media during her brief time as his chief spokesperson.
“You don’t have to do this if you don’t want to,” Trump said he told her. “Honestly if I were you I’d reconsider.”
When asked whether he intended to fire Zacharia, Trump responded, “No, I want her to have a good life.”
Trump speaks out about Zacharia’s difficult first week
Trump appointed Zacharia on October 9, following Leavitt’s resignation in August after approximately 19 months as White House press secretary.
Zacharia, 42, previously worked as a senior communications adviser at Trump Media & Technology Group and had appeared regularly as a political commentator on television.
However, her first days in the White House quickly became the subject of intense scrutiny.
During remarks to reporters Friday, Trump suggested that the demands of the position had been more difficult than Zacharia anticipated.
“Katie’s been treated very badly by the media. Very, very badly, very unfairly, I think,” he said.
The president also referred to her Thursday evening interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity and her appearance on Fox & Friends the following morning.
He believed both interviews had been particularly challenging for his new press secretary.
Trump said he wanted Zacharia to make her own decision about leaving, while indicating that he was concerned about the pressure she was experiencing.
“I said to Katie two minutes ago, I said, ‘Katie, you know, you don’t need to do this if you don’t want.’ She said, ‘This is a lot tougher.’ I said, ‘Welcome to the world of Trump,’” he told reporters.
A 14-minute briefing and questions about her background
Zacharia’s first White House press briefing on Tuesday lasted just 14 minutes, with questions taken from only three reporters.
Her appearance drew criticism over what observers described as a nervous performance. By comparison, Leavitt’s briefings averaged approximately 45 minutes.
Further controversy followed when questions emerged about Zacharia’s legal background.
Although she had described herself as an attorney, Zacharia acknowledged during an interview with Hannity that she failed the California bar examination in 2011 and never attempted it again.
During her first briefing, she had appeared to tell reporters that she passed the bar after moving to China.
She later explained to the New York Times that she had not properly heard the question because of noise from Marine One.
In her interview with Hannity, Zacharia said she considered the examination results inconsequential.
Despite the difficult exchange, she promised to improve her preparation and meet the responsibilities Trump had entrusted to her.
What happens next for Katie Zacharia?
Zacharia’s reported exit would make her tenure even shorter than Anthony Scaramucci’s 11 days as White House communications director in 2017.
It also follows another brief government appointment earlier this year.
Before joining Trump Media, she worked at the Department of Homeland Security as a deputy assistant secretary for public affairs, leaving after approximately six weeks.
According to the Daily Mail, Trump selected Zacharia during a 72-hour period without consulting White House chief of staff Susie Wiles.
The newspaper also reported that Zacharia and her family were scheduled to have dinner with Vice President JD Vance and his family Friday evening.
Despite her departure from the press secretary position, Trump suggested that her relationship with the administration might continue.
He said he would like to retain Zacharia in another capacity, describing the possibility as a role that would be more comfortable for her.
“I just think the press has been very tough on Katie, and I said, ‘There’s no reason for you to have to do this. You’ve got a beautiful family, a fantastic husband and kids,’” Trump said.
For now, no replacement has been identified in the supplied reports, leaving the White House facing another change in its communications leadership just days after Zacharia took the job.
