Trump personally prepped press secretary Katie Zacharia for first ‘awkward’ WH briefing: Report

WASHINGTON, DC: President Donald Trump reportedly prepared new White House press secretary Katie Zacharia for her first briefing on Tuesday, October 13, after urging her to face journalists shortly after being hired.

Zacharia’s appearance lasted about 15 minutes, with most of the time devoted to highlighting the administration’s accomplishments. Only three reporters were given the opportunity to ask questions.

While Trump praised her performance, several White House officials and advisers reportedly criticised the briefing and questioned why she had been sent to the podium with so little preparation.

Trump prepares Katie Zacharia for first White House briefing

Trump called Zacharia into the Oval Office shortly before her briefing, which was scheduled for 9:30 am, and encouraged her to use the attention surrounding her debut to highlight his administration’s record, according to a report by the New York Post. 

The president also informed her of his decision to seek the resignation of US Ambassador to Greece Kimberly Guilfoyle, which Zacharia subsequently announced to reporters.

Following Trump’s instructions, Zacharia opened with about eight minutes of remarks praising what she called the “energetic president.”

The new press secretary then cited claims about record-high attendance at Trump’s rallies and highlighted wage gains, drug prices, employment and energy production.

She then spent approximately six minutes answering questions, calling on journalists from Breitbart, Fox News and the Daily Mail. A photograph of her notes appeared to show that the three reporters’ names had been selected in advance.

Katie Zacharia faces criticism after first White House briefing

The briefing drew criticism from several White House officials and Trump advisers who spoke to CNN. One adviser described the performance as “brutal,” while others called it "unusual, awkward and stilted".

One Trump adviser questioned the decision to send her out so quickly, saying that “she should have been doing murder boards for two weeks before going up there.”

A White House official also questioned, “why did they put her out there so quickly?” The official added that there was “literally zero reason to put her out on her second day, unprepared.”

Trump, however, defended Zacharia after the briefing, telling reporters that “I thought she was very good.” 

White House communications director Steven Cheung also praised her, saying in a statement to the outlet that “Katie is a fabulous and wonderful addition to the team.”

Zacharia said she was ending the briefing because Trump was expected to take questions before departing for Alaska.

“I am going to end it because President Trump is heading out to Marine One for our historic trip to Alaska, and we can ask him all of the questions out there,” she said.