Katie Zacharia has resigned as White House press secretary after a mere five days, following intense scrutiny over her performance and legal background. President Donald Trump confirmed he suggested she reconsider the position, citing her “rough” treatment by the media, even as her brief tenure became a subject of widespread criticism. Her departure marks another high-profile staffing shake-up in the administration, drawing comparisons to Anthony Scaramucci’s famously short stint.
Katie Zacharia's tenure as White House press secretary has come to an abrupt end, with her departure confirmed just five days after she took the podium. The swift exit follows intense public criticism regarding her performance and mounting questions about her legal credentials, a White House official revealed to CNBC on Friday.
President Donald Trump himself acknowledged the situation earlier in the afternoon, telling reporters that he had personally advised Zacharia to consider resigning. "I just spoke to her about it. I said, 'Katie, is this for you?'" Trump recounted outside the White House. He added, "'If I were you, I'd reconsider,'" detailing his conversation with his now-former press secretary.
The official, who requested anonymity to discuss the internal staffing change, corroborated Fox News' report that Zacharia is in the process of "transitioning" out of the high-profile press secretary role. Her five-day stint is notably shorter than that of Anthony Scaramucci, who served as White House communications director for a mere 11 days in 2017 – a period so brief it spawned the humorous unit of time, "one Scaramucci."
By this measure, Zacharia's tenure lasted roughly "one-half of one Scaramucci." Scaramucci himself weighed in on X, stating, "Records are made to be broken. But I take no pleasure in other people's pain."
Zacharia, a conservative commentator who previously worked for Trump Media & Technology Group, encountered widespread criticism from the outset. Her first — and only — press briefing on Tuesday was widely perceived as short and unsteady. Furthermore, her legal background came under increased scrutiny, with questions arising about whether she had ever passed a bar exam, despite identifying herself as a lawyer.
Her shaky debut was also notable for revealing that U.S. Ambassador to Greece Kimberly Guilfoyle had been asked to step down. Zacharia's departure, along with Guilfoyle's, adds to a growing list of high-ranking female officials who have left or been removed from the Trump administration in recent months.
Despite the criticisms, Trump expressed some sympathy for Zacharia, stating outside the White House, "You know, she's been treated very rough. And she's a nice person." He blamed the media for treating her "very badly," even noting that Fox News host Sean Hannity, typically an administration supporter, was "a little bit tough" on Zacharia during her Thursday night appearance on his show.
During that interview, Hannity pressed Zacharia on her past claims of legal work, particularly in light of reports she had not passed a bar exam. Zacharia defended identifying as a "lawyer" while distinguishing it from being an "attorney." However, Hannity pointed out social media posts where she had referred to herself as an "attorney," to which she responded, "I think they were retweets, and I corrected the record." Notably, Trump himself had referred to Zacharia as "an attorney" in his Oct. 9 Truth Social post announcing her selection to replace Karoline Leavitt.
Earlier in the week, White House officials had rallied to Zacharia's defense. "Up and down the White House, everyone has been thoroughly impressed with Katie in just a few short days on the job," White House communications director Steven Cheung posted on X on Wednesday. He even optimistically added, "At the end of this second term, she'll be remembered as one of the all-time greats."
However, CNN chief White House correspondent Kaitlan Collins reported Friday that Trump was reportedly "embarrassed by the coverage of Zacharia's briefing and when he polled other aides about her, Zacharia had few allies willing to stand up for her or defend her performance."
Reflecting on the situation, Trump reiterated his advice to Zacharia. "She's been treated, I would say, pretty nastily," he said. "And I said to Katie just two minutes ago, I said, 'Katie, you know, you don't have to do this if you don't want.'" When asked if he would retain her in the role, Trump concluded, "I'm going to let her make that decision."
