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Trump Fires Katie Zacharia as White House Press Secretary After Five Days
President Donald Trump has fired Katie Zacharia as White House press secretary after just five days in the role, according to advisers to the president.
Trump told reporters Friday that he had encouraged Zacharia to reconsider the position, suggesting he did not believe the job was the right fit for her.
“Honestly, if I were you, I’d reconsider,” Trump said he told Zacharia earlier in the day.
Trump said he planned to speak with her again after returning to the White House and would leave the decision to her. However, he questioned whether she needed to remain in the demanding position.
“Katie, do you need this?” Trump said he asked her. “I don’t think you need this.”
A White House official told CNN that Zacharia was “transitioning out” of the press secretary role, while a Trump adviser said she would leave the White House in the coming days.
Trump said Zacharia had been mistreated by the media and praised her loyalty, but acknowledged she might not be suited to serve as the administration’s top spokesperson.
“Maybe it’s not for her,” he said.
Zacharia’s brief tenure began with a difficult first press briefing Tuesday, when she appeared nervous and took just three questions. Questions about her professional background followed, including confusion over her qualifications as an attorney.
Zacharia later acknowledged that she had never passed a bar exam, despite being described by Trump as an attorney when he announced her hiring. Her subsequent interviews, including an appearance with Fox News host Sean Hannity, intensified scrutiny of her performance.
According to sources familiar with discussions inside the White House, Trump initially viewed her first briefing less negatively than some of his advisers. However, her later interviews and conversations with allies reportedly changed his assessment.
Zacharia had attracted Trump’s attention as a conservative television commentator. Her hiring came after other potential candidates were ruled out because of critical comments they had made about the president.
Her five-day tenure was even shorter than that of Anthony Scaramucci, who served 11 days as White House communications director in 2017.
By: NBC Palm Springs
October 16, 2026
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