Katie Zacharia ousted after five days as Trump’s White House press secretary

Katie Zacharia has been ousted as Donald Trump’s White House press secretary after five days in the job, according to reports published on October 16. Her departure followed a brief inaugural appearance before reporters and questions about her legal qualifications.¹²³

A short tenure

The Guardian reported that a White House official confirmed her departure but was not authorised to discuss the personnel decision publicly because it had not yet been formally announced. The BBC also reported that Zacharia was leaving, describing her tenure as less than five days.¹²

Zacharia had been hired less than a week before making her debut as press secretary. Her first briefing lasted under 15 minutes and included three questions from reporters, according to the BBC. The Guardian put its duration at 14 minutes and reported that she later said she had had little time to prepare.¹²

Trump had suggested that she might leave during an exchange with reporters outside Marine One, the BBC reported. Describing his message to Zacharia, he said: “you don't have to do this if you don't want to”.²

Questions about legal credentials

Zacharia acknowledged that she had not passed the bar exam. According to the BBC, she graduated from Pepperdine University’s law school and said she had worked in international transaction law in China with the credentials required for that work.¹²

The BBC reported that, during an interview with Fox News presenter Sean Hannity, Zacharia said she did not inform Trump that she lacked attorney status because “those questions weren't asked”. She had been recruited for communications work rather than a legal position.²

Axios reported on October 17 that Trump had been surprised by the disclosure that Zacharia was not licensed to practise law in any US state. That account of the president’s reaction was separate from Zacharia’s explanation of her work in China.²³

Selection and succession

The Guardian described Zacharia as a relatively little-known conservative commentator before her appointment. It reported that she followed Trump’s public schedule and Truth Social activity to estimate when he would watch television, then arranged her appearances to attract his attention.¹

Joe Lockhart, who served as Bill Clinton’s White House spokesman, told the Guardian that preparing for the position took years and said Zacharia was unlikely to succeed under those conditions. His assessment concerned her readiness for the position, not just the length of her first briefing.¹

According to the Guardian, Zacharia’s predecessor, Karoline Leavitt, resigned to concentrate on her family, and Trump ally and CNN contributor Scott Jennings was considered before Zacharia was selected. Axios reported that Natalie Harp influenced the hiring process and that Trump was in no hurry to appoint Zacharia’s replacement.¹³