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Katie Zacharia Steps Down as White House Press Secretary After Five Days
· Confirmed
In Short: Katie Zacharia, President Donald Trump's newly appointed White House press secretary, announced her departure Friday after just five days on the job, following intense scrutiny over her legal credentials.
Multiple sources and a senior White House official told ABC News that Zacharia is “transitioning out” of her role, a move that comes amid widespread ridicule over her job performance.
Zacharia had previously served as spokesperson and deputy assistant secretary for public affairs at the Department of Homeland Security and is a graduate of Pepperdine University and the Pepperdine Caruso School of Law.
In a statement, Zacharia said, 'I said to her, 'Honestly, if I were you, I'd reconsider. You think about it, but I would reconsider,' Trump said, adding that he told Zacharia, 'Katie, you know, you don't have to do this if you don't want,' as she had been 'suffering' the last few days as the media had been 'brutal' to her.
Zacharia told the president, 'President Trump is a kind, wonderful, gracious, thoughtful, enthusiastic, and hardworking man. I wish more Americans appreciated him. No one will ever make America great the way he has and continues to. It was an honor to work for him.'
The White House defended Zacharia's legal credentials, noting that she had worked on 'international transaction law' and that any misunderstanding about her bar exam was a 'misunderstanding.'
Zacharia's appointment and subsequent departure have drawn comparisons to past White House press secretaries who faced similar scrutiny, such as Scott McClellan, who was fired after three years during President George W. Bush's tenure.
The media and the Senate questioned Zacharia's qualifications, with some suggesting that her brief tenure was a result of the intense scrutiny and ridicule she faced.
Zacharia's departure comes at a critical time for the Trump administration, with midterm elections approaching and the White House facing multiple controversies, including the status of Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and the potential impeachment of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
The White House press secretary's role involves managing the president's public image, responding to media inquiries, and serving as a key spokesperson for the administration.
Zacharia's brief tenure highlights the challenges and pressures faced by those in high-profile government positions, particularly in the highly scrutinized role of White House press secretary.
What this adds
Zacharia's departure after just five days is unprecedented and underscores the intense scrutiny and pressure faced by White House press secretaries.
Background
Katie Zacharia, President Donald Trump's newly appointed White House press secretary, announced her departure Friday after just five days on the job, following intense scrutiny over her legal credentials.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt announced she is expecting her second child.
What's confirmed
- White House press secretary Katie Zacharia is “transitioning out” of her role, multiple sources and a senior White House official told ABC News on Friday.
- "I said to her, 'Honestly, if I were you, I'd reconsider. You think about it, but I would reconsider,'" Trump said.
- "I said, 'Katie, you know, you don't have to do this if you don't want,'" the president said.
What's still developing
- In the months leading up to the disastrous 2006 election, President George W Bush fired his press secretary, Scott McClellan, and withdrew the Supreme Court nomination of his close confidante, Harriet Miers.
- It is rumoured that Secretary of War Pete Hegseth is now on the chopping block, especially after the president rejected his plans to livestream the execution of Nidal Hasan, a terrorist who shot 13 people at Fort Hood military base in 2009.
- He waited until after the midterms, in which the Republicans lost control of the United States Congress, to fire Donald Rumsfeld as his secretary of defence, who had led the increasingly unpopular war against Iraq.
- Speaker Mike Johnson on Wednesday announced he is sending members home from Washington early for their seven-week campaigning recess ahead of the midterm elections, a move that will stave off a vote on impeaching Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
- US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told Lebanese President Joseph Aoun that returning a seized explosives shipment to Hezbollah should be ruled out, a State Department official said.
- In response to questions from CBS News, the Pentagon said Wednesday that Operation Epic Fury officially ended May 5, the same day Secretary of State Marco Rubio declared to reporters at the White House: "The operation is over. Epic Fury is — the president notified Congress — we're done with that stage of it. We're now on to this Project Freedom."
- The talks, the first official bilateral discussions devoted exclusively to AI between the U.S. and China since U.S. President Donald Trump took office for a second time, will be led by U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on the U.S. side, the sources, who were briefed on the planning, said on condition of anonymity.
- Iran's currency has hit a record low — 2.02 million to the US dollar — as US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent prepared to announce new sanctions that Washington said would add further pressure on an economy already battered by previous sanctions and a US naval blockade.
- President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio are weighing whether to remove U.S. Ambassador to Greece Kimberly Guilfoyle following reports of alleged financial impropriety and workplace misconduct.
- The US Government says Nidal Hasan's death by firing squad will be live streamed. ( AFP: Bell Country Sherriff's Department ) US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has said the execution of convicted Fort Hood military base shooter Nidal Hasan will be livestreamed.
- Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026, United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Monday said that the decision to waive Russia oil sanctions also took into account the India-US trade deal, which is close to conclusion.
- Obviously, there are differences between the two presidencies.