Trump Questions Press Secretary Katie Zacharia’s Role

On Friday, President Donald Trump indicated that Katie Zacharia’s brief stint as White House press secretary might be coming to an end, implying that she may not be suited for the position following a widely criticized start.

While heading to a rally in Georgia, Trump spoke with reporters on the South Lawn, revealing that he had suggested to Zacharia earlier that day that she should think about her role. Although he commended her loyalty and mentioned that the media had been unfair, he expressed uncertainty regarding her capability for the job, suggesting that perhaps the position was too stressful for her.

Trump left the final decision up to Zacharia, but it was clear from his comments that he had lost confidence in her abilities after barely a week in the role.

This public distancing from the president followed a hectic week full of scrutiny over Zacharia’s credentials and performance. In her opening press briefing on Tuesday, which lasted just fourteen minutes, she leaned heavily on prepared notes, prompting backlash from journalists.

Things took a turn when reporters began questioning her legal experience after she was announced as an attorney. It later came to light that Zacharia had never passed a bar exam in the U.S., leading to tough interviews on conservative media where she defended her title of “lawyer,” citing her law degree while downplaying the significance of not having bar credentials in her current job.

Trump mentioned he would discuss the matter with Zacharia again upon returning to Washington, but his remarks seemed to indicate that her time as press secretary was already in jeopardy.

Other major news outlets have reported that she could be “transitioning out” of her position starting Friday. Now, the Trump administration is under immediate pressure to establish a succession plan for the press briefing role as the midterm elections approach.