Trump Defends Katie Zacharia as Press Secretary Reportedly Exits After One Week

Breaking

Katie Zacharia’s time as White House press secretary appears to be over after roughly one week. On Friday, a senior White House official told Fox News’ Peter Doocy that Zacharia is “transitioning out” of the role, according to a post on X from Fox News reporter Aishah Hasnie. The New York Times, citing three people familiar with the matter, reported that she had been fired. As of Friday afternoon, the White House had not made a formal announcement.

President Donald Trump discussed Zacharia’s future with reporters on Friday but stopped short of saying he had removed her. “Katie’s been treated very badly by the media,” Trump said, according to Just the News. “And I just spoke to her about it. I said ‘Katie, is this for you?’” He added, “You don’t need this. You don’t have to do this if you don’t want to.” When asked whether she would stay, Trump said, “I’m gonna let her make that decision.”

Details & Background

Trump picked Zacharia last week to replace Karoline Leavitt, who left at the end of August. Zacharia started on Monday, October 12, and held her first briefing the next day. That short session made news when she announced that the administration had asked Kimberly Guilfoyle to resign as ambassador to Greece. Before joining the White House, Zacharia was a senior communications adviser at Trump Media & Technology Group, and earlier this year she briefly served as a spokesperson at the Department of Homeland Security.

Within days, the coverage shifted to her legal credentials. In an interview on Fox News’ Hannity, host Sean Hannity asked her, “You went to Pepperdine Law School, but you did not pass the bar exam, correct?” Zacharia answered, “Correct.” She said she sat for the exam “because I didn’t want to have a withdrawal status” and never took it again. Hannity cited a report of 15 social media posts identifying her as an attorney. Zacharia said, “I think they were retweets, and I corrected the record,” and added, “It was never my intent to go into the practice of law.”

Reactions

Trump said Zacharia’s credentials were not the reason he hired her. “Well, I wasn’t hiring her to be a lawyer,” he told reporters, according to Newsweek. “She’s been loyal to me since day one for a long time, but it’s not an easy job.” He blamed the press for her rough start. “I told Katie that in my opinion she was treated very, very unfairly by the news. Let’s call it the fake news,” Trump said. He also acknowledged that “Sean Hannity was a little bit tough.”

Breitbart News’ Matthew Boyle, citing a source familiar with the matter, reported that Trump “is still a huge fan of Zacharia” and that she was having dinner with Vice President JD Vance and his family Friday night. Other White House officials had been less supportive. Just the News reported that officials speaking anonymously had criticized her performance to political outlets. Just the News also said it had asked Zacharia for comment, and its report did not include a response from her.

Why This Matters to You

The press secretary speaks for the president every day on immigration, the economy, the wars in Iran and Ukraine, and every other issue that affects American families. Losing that spokesperson less than three weeks before the November 3 midterm elections means the White House must quickly find someone who can carry its record to voters. Trump’s comments show that he values loyalty, and also that he knows the job requires someone who can handle constant scrutiny.

Zacharia’s brief tenure also shows how quickly the national press can turn on a Trump appointee. Her legal background raised fair questions, and she answered them on live television. By defending her in public while leaving the decision to her, Trump stood by a loyal aide even as the administration prepares to move on. Whoever takes the podium next will shape how the White House’s message reaches the country during the most important stretch of the election year.