Josh Weiner
Katie Zacharia is out as White House press secretary after barely a week on the job, following a chaotic debut that included a brief and halting first briefing and scrutiny over claims on her résumé.
Zacharia was named to the role on October 9 and stepped behind the White House podium for her first press briefing on October 13, a session that lasted just 14 minutes and included only three questions.
Her short tenure quickly ran into trouble after she said she had passed a bar exam in China, a claim that drew scrutiny given that noncitizens are not permitted to sit for the country’s national bar exam or practice in its courtrooms.
Speaking to reporters on the South Lawn, Trump said he told Zacharia directly that she should step back from the role, recounting the conversation as: "You don't have to do this if you don't want to... I think you should reconsider." A senior White House official said Zacharia is now "transitioning out" of the position.
Zacharia's exit after less than a week puts the White House's communications operation back into flux, marking the latest shakeup in a press secretary role that has seen repeated turnover and renewed scrutiny over how the administration vets and prepares its public-facing staff.
