Katie Zacharia is out as White House press secretary after just 5 days on the job
Katie Zacharia has officially left her role as White House press secretary after five days, with reports indicating she will transition to a new, yet-to-be-announced position. Her exit follows public criticism regarding her lack of legal credentials and a poorly received first press briefing.
Why it matters
The departure highlights the administration's ongoing struggle with communications and the vetting process for high-level political appointments.
Katie Zacharia is out as White House press secretary after just five days on the job, two senior administration officials, an administration official and a source familiar with the decision said. A senior administration official said that Zacharia is transitioning into a new role that would be announced at a later date. Zacharia expressed her gratitude for President Donald Trump in a statement Friday evening, saying “it was an honor to work for him.” “President Trump is such a kind, wonderful, gracious, thoughtful, enthusiastic, and hardworking man — I wish more Americans appreciated him,” Zacharia said. “There’s nobody who will ever come close to making America great the way he has and is.” The news follows Zacharia’s widely panned first press briefing and the revelation that she represented herself as a lawyer but did not pass her bar exam. Zacharia leaves the position as she entered it: quickly.
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