Trump Fires Press Secretary Katie Zacharia After Just 5 Days on the Job
President Donald Trump has removed Katie Zacharia as White House press secretary, five days after she took the job. Her tenure is the shortest of any top Trump White House aide, cutting in half the record set by Anthony Scaramucci, the first-term communications director who lasted 11 days.
The New York Times first reported the firing on Friday, October 16, citing three people familiar with the matter. CBS News, CNN and CNBC later confirmed it through White House officials. A senior White House official told Fox News that Zacharia is “transitioning out” of the role.
From “Excellent” to “Reconsider” in Three Days
Zacharia’s exit is a sharp reversal. Trump named her on October 9 to replace Karoline Leavitt, who left in August. After her first briefing on October 13, he told reporters she had done excellently, and CNN reported he told her the same on the flight to Alaska that day.
By Friday his tone had changed. Speaking outside the White House shortly before news of the firing broke, he said he had advised her that if he were in her place, he would reconsider taking the job. “I said, ‘Katie, is this for you?’” Trump said. He told Fox News, “Maybe it’s not for her,” while still calling her a very nice person.
According to TMZ, citing the Wall Street Journal, Zacharia was told she was out while she was giving the Journal an interview about her new job. She reportedly left the room and did not come back.
A Widely Panned First Briefing
Zacharia’s only briefing lasted about 14 minutes. She took a handful of questions before ending it abruptly, saying the president was leaving for Alaska. Advisers told CNN she seemed badly underprepared and lacked basic skills for the job. One aide told CBS News she was unusually isolated during the week and did not function as a press secretary.
She also faced scrutiny over her background, including questions about her bar exam history. In a Fox & Friends interview she defended herself, saying she had been hired as press secretary, not as White House counsel.
“Did Anyone Vet Her?”
The firing has raised questions about how she was picked. CNN reported that a week before her appointment, Zacharia was not even being considered. After weeks of failing to find a replacement for Leavitt, Trump suddenly became fixated on filling the post and complained he had no one pushing his message.
CNN analysis said the episode was an embarrassment because the problem was background vetting the White House failed to do, not her qualifications on paper. The post had been empty since Leavitt announced her exit on August 12, so there was no reason to rush. CBS reported that some White House staff found out about the change from the news. The official @PressSec account on X was never handed over to her.
Who Is Katie Zacharia?
Zacharia, 42, is a conservative commentator and an adviser to Trump Media & Technology Group, which runs Truth Social. She appeared often on Fox News and Newsmax and worked on Trump’s campaigns. She is an attorney with degrees from Pepperdine University.
This is the second time this year she has left an administration job quickly. She was a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson from February to April. The Daily Beast reported then that she was pushed out over ties to Corey Lewandowski.
What Happens Next?
CBS reported that Zacharia is expected to start a new role in the administration soon. The White House has not named a replacement. Names floated before her appointment included deputy press secretary Anna Kelly, former Trump lawyer Alina Habba, Katie Miller and communications director Steven Cheung.
Her only briefing did produce one lasting headline: she announced that Trump had asked Kimberly Guilfoyle to resign.