Katie Zacharia ousted as White House Press Secretary after just 5 days following a rocky debut

WASHINGTON, DC: Katie Zacharia was ousted as White House press secretary on Friday, October 16, after just five days in the role, following a turbulent debut and mounting questions about her professional credentials.

The news of her departure surfaced after President Donald Trump said that he had urged her to reconsider the position amid intense media scrutiny. Zacharia’s exit leaves the White House without its top spokesperson as Republicans prepare for the November midterm elections, which will determine control of Congress. Trump said he was in no rush to appoint a replacement.

Zacharia’s brief tenure ends after press briefing, credentials controversy

Zacharia’s tenure began Monday, October 12, and she held her first White House press briefing the following day. The briefing on Tuesday, lasted for approximately only 14 minutes, during which she took just three questions from reporters and relied on notes while discussing the administration’s accomplishments. Zacharia’s performance quickly drew criticism and prompted further scrutiny of her background.

Questions intensified after Zacharia was asked where she had passed the bar exam, to which the press secretary replied, “when I was in China.” Media reports soon examined her legal background, raising concerns about her eligibility to practice law in the United States if she took her bar exam in China. Reports found that she had actually never appeared for a bar exam. 

Zacharia said she graduated from Pepperdine University’s law school and, after scrutiny, acknowledged on Thursday, October 15, that she had not passed a bar exam. Law school graduates generally must be admitted to a state bar to practice law in the United States.

In an earlier statement, Zacharia said that she had “practiced international transaction law in China with the ‘appropriate credentials.’” She maintained that she had been hired for a communications position rather than a legal role and said she had not disclosed to Trump that she was not an attorney because “those questions weren't asked.”

Her departure was confirmed on her fifth day in the office on Friday. Zacharia praised Trump in a statement, saying, “President Trump is such a kind, wonderful, gracious, thoughtful, enthusiastic, and hardworking man, I wish more Americans appreciated him.”

Trump says he urged Zacharia to reconsider serving her position

Speaking to reporters outside the White House, just hours before Zacharia’s departure, Trump said he had spoken to Zacharia about whether she wanted to remain in the job, citing the treatment she had received from the media.

“I just spoke to her about it,” he said. “I said, ‘Katie, is this for you?’ Because she’s been treated very rough.” Trump also said he had told her, “you don't have to do this if you don't want to” and “honestly, if I were you, I'd reconsider”.

The exit drew criticism from Democrats ahead of the midterms. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries wrote on X, that “The White House Press Secretary is gone. MAGA extremists continue to fall apart.”

Zacharia’s five-day tenure is believed to be the shortest ever for a White House press secretary. Anthony Scaramucci, who served as White House communications director during Trump’s first term, left after 10 days. Reacting to the news on Friday, Scaramucci wrote on X, “Records are made to be broken. But I take no pleasure in other people's pain.”