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Katie Zacharia ‘transitioning out’ of WH Press Secy. role
· Confirmed
In Short: Katie Zacharia, who started as White House press secretary on Monday, is stepping down after only seven days in the role.
Katie Zacharia, who began her role as White House press secretary on Monday, announced her departure on Friday, just seven days into the job. According to a White House official, Zacharia is 'transitioning out' of the position, a term that suggests a change is underway but does not specify an immediate replacement (Modern Ghana [Ghana], Al Jazeera [Qatar]).
Zacharia faced intense scrutiny from the media and conservative-leaning outlets since her appointment. During her first press briefing on Tuesday, she answered only three questions from reporters and left after about 14 minutes (FOX 5 New York, Honolulu Star-Advertiser).
The controversy surrounding Zacharia's legal credentials also contributed to her swift departure. In an interview with ABC News, Zacharia admitted that she did not pass the bar exam, while in an earlier interview with Real America's Voice, she clarified that she had taken the bar exam after obtaining her law degree from Pepperdine University in 2011 but did not explicitly state whether she passed (ABC News, Deseret News).
President Donald Trump told reporters on Friday that he had advised Zacharia to reconsider her position, saying she had been 'suffering' and that the media had been 'brutal' to her (FOX 2 Detroit, FOX 5 New York). Trump also noted that he had spoken to Zacharia earlier in the day and suggested she should reconsider her role (Oann).
Zacharia's departure marks a swift exit from one of the most high-profile roles in the administration. She had been appointed to succeed Karoline Leavitt, who left the position last Friday (Modern Ghana [Ghana], Thenews [Pakistan]).
White House Communications Director Steven Cheung had previously praised Zacharia, describing her as 'uniquely qualified and whip smart' to help inform the American people about the administration's accomplishments (Fox News). However, the White House X account @PressSec, which was run by Leavitt before switching to the White House Press Office, never switched over to Zacharia, indicating a lack of official transition (Fox News, Weartv).
Zacharia posted to X late Friday night, expressing her appreciation for President Trump and wishing him well. She wrote, 'it was an honor' to serve him and described him as 'a kind, wonderful, gracious, thoughtful, enthusiastic, and hardworking man' (Fox News, Weartv).
The White House has not yet provided further details on Zacharia's new role or a succession plan for the briefing room. The administration now faces immediate pressure to outline a plan as President Trump continues his scheduled appearances ahead of the upcoming midterm elections (Oann).
What this adds
Zacharia's legal credentials and her performance in her first press briefing were key factors in her decision to step down. She had faced intense scrutiny from the media and conservative-leaning outlets since her appointment.
Background
President Donald Trump announced Katie Zacharia will replace Karoline Leavitt as White House press secretary, starting on Columbus Day.
President Donald Trump announced on Sunday that Katie Zacharia will begin her role as White House press secretary on Columbus Day, starting with an introductory news conference on Tuesday at 9:30 A.M.
What's confirmed
- Amid questions about her legal credentials, White House press secretary Katie Zacharia said in an interview Thursday that she did not pass the bar exam.
- In an earlier interview Thursday with Real America's Voice, Zacharia clarified that she did take the bar exam after obtaining her law degree from Pepperdine University in 2011 -- but stopped short of explicitly stating whether she passed the exam.
- In a post on X, Hasnie shared that “a senior White House official” told Fox News’s Peter Doocy that Zacharia was “transitioning out” of her role as press secretary.
- White House press secretary Katie Zacharia is “transitioning out” of the position just five days into her tenure after President Donald Trump said he advised her to reconsider the role.
- Speaking with reporters at the White House, President Donald Trump indicated that he had encouraged Zacharia to reconsider her position.
- Trump says he told Zacharia to reconsider the role, as she's been "suffering" the last few days as the media has been "brutal" to her, adding that he wants her to be happy.
- New White House Press Secretary Katie Zacharia arrives to hold her first press briefing at the White House in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday.
- A person familiar with the matter, granted anonymity to discuss a personnel decision not yet made public, said earlier Friday that Zacharia would be transitioning out of the role.
- In Zacharia’s first and only briefing on Tuesday, she took questions from just three reporters, all from conservative-leaning or Trump-friendly outlets, and left after only about 14 minutes.
- Zacharia started the job on Monday and held her debut White House briefing on Tuesday.
- She is uniquely qualified and whip smart to help inform the American people about all the great things President Trump and his Administration have been doing, and she will do an incredible job as Press Secretary," White House Communications Director Steven Cheung told Fox News Digital. The White House X account @PressSec, formerly run by Leavitt before switching to White House Press Office, never switched over to Zacharia. Zacharia posted to X late Friday night, writing, "it was an honor" to serve President Trump. "President Trump is a kind, wonderful, gracious, thoughtful, enthusiastic, and hardworking man," she wrote. "I wish more Americans appreciated him.
- Trump later announced her appointment and described her as “an attorney”.
What's still developing
- "When I moved to China," Zacharia answered, an apparent reference to what she has described on her LinkedIn page as a period of time from 2011 through 2013 spent working for a prominent Beijing-based law firm called Zhon Lun.
- A source familiar with the plans told The Daily Wire that Zacharia and her family are having dinner with Vice President JD Vance and his family tonight.
- Trump said he wants Zacharia to “have a good life” and claimed the 41-year-old has been “brutalized” by the legacy media.
- She claimed the results of the bar exam were “somewhat inconsequential” because she would not need to be a barred attorney while living in China when her husband was working there.
- In his announcement, he described her an attorney.