President Donald Trump has fired Katie Zacharia from her post as White House press secretary after less than a week on the job, according to a source familiar with the matter.
It’s a stunning exit for Zacharia, who had been beleaguered by bad headlines and questions about her qualifications from the start of her five-day tenure.
Trump foreshadowed the exit on Friday, telling reporters that he asked her to consider stepping aside after a difficult first week on the job.
Trump announced her appointment in a Truth Social post last Friday, and she assumed the position on Monday — but a widely panned first press conference and a series of awkward interviews left the president questioning her ability to perform the strenuous job of speaking for the commander-in-chief.
Trending
“Katie has been treated very badly by the media. Very, very badly. Very unfair,” Trump said. “I just asked her, is this for you? And she’s a nice person. I’m going to let her make that decision.”
When asked whether she would remain in the administration if ousted, Trump replied, “In some form.”
“But maybe a more pleasant form,” he added.
Fox News was the first of multiple outlets to report her ouster following Trump’s comments.
Trump didn’t drop names when asked who her successor could be, but he told a reporter: “A lot of people want the job. I bet you’d want it if I offered it to you.”
Controversy surrounding Zacharia’s legal credentials became a focal point this week after Popular Information reported that Zacharia, a California resident, has never been admitted to practice law in any U.S. state or the District of Columbia.
Zacharia herself confirmed she hadn’t passed the bar in a viral interview with Fox News’ Sean Hannity.
“You took the bar exam but you didn’t pass the bar exam, correct?” Hannity asked her.
“Yes, Sean,” she answered. Hannity then asked her if she took the bar a second time, and she responded she did not.
Despite this, Zacharia repeatedly referred to herself as a lawyer when appearing on podcasts and on TV. Zacharia told The New York Times she decided to publicly refer to herself as an attorney after consulting with Pepperdine University’s president.
The university president warned her not to use the words “attorney” or “esquire,” but said “lawyer” was permissible, the Times reported.
On her LinkedIn page, Zacharia also identified herself as former general counsel to Fix California, a nonprofit dedicated to promoting conservative values across the state, and as a former associate at Zhong Lun Law Firm in Beijing from August 2011 to June 2013.
The Campaign for Accountability filed a complaint with the California State Bar on Wednesday over allegations that Zacharia had misrepresented herself as an attorney.
As the music played out on Hannity, Zacharia continued trying to assure the host she’d deliver for the president.
“I’ll be very prepared, Sean, and I’ll step up to the duty … as press secretary.”
The morning after her Hannity interview, a former Trump official sent The Washington Sun a link to a Polymarket X post, unprompted and without context. Zacharia’s odds to be fired had increased by 12%.
A current administration official only had one word for her performance with the typically friendly Hannity: “Wow.” He continued: “Let’s get someone serious now.”
Authors
