Trump wanted Maria Bartiromo over Katie Zacharia for White House press secretary job: Report

WASHINGTON, DC: Former Fox News anchor Maria Bartiromo was reportedly President Donald Trump’s preferred choice to take over the White House press secretary’s podium before Katie Zacharia landed the position, only to leave it five days later.

According to an Axios report published Friday, October 16, two senior administration officials said that the president had approached the possibility of hiring the former Fox News host, but she had indicated that she was not interested in accepting the job.

Trump's first choice for press secretary turned down the job

Axios reported that Trump wanted Bartiromo to replace Karoline Leavitt, who left the press secretary role in August.

One administration official reportedly suggested that the White House could not match the financial terms of her existing arrangement, saying, “She’s no longer on air, but she’s still on the Fox payroll & the taxpayers can’t compete with that.”

Conservative commentator Scott Jennings was also reportedly considered for the position, although he was never offered the job.

Both Bartiromo and Jennings have frequently defended Trump in television appearances.

Bartiromo’s name carries particular significance because of her long association with Fox News and Fox Business, where she became one of the network’s most recognizable broadcasters.

Her departure from Fox News Media was announced in September, ending an association of more than 12 years.

Fox News did not explain the reasons behind her departure but thanked her for her service via a formal statement.

After several reports claimed Maria was fired, her lawyer, Bryan Freedman, called those claims “absolutely and unequivocally false.”

Bartiromo, a few days later, expressed gratitude for supporters' messages and added, “More to come.”

Trump, at the time, had expressed shock over her Fox exit and praised Bartiromo, calling her a “true warrior.”

Katie Zacharia’s final hour in the West Wing

Additionally, fresh reports have emerged on the exact moment Zacharia was fired from the job.

Zacharia’s departure reportedly unfolded while she was discussing her plans for the job with The Wall Street Journal on Friday.

She was speaking from her West Wing office shortly before 1 pm when senior Trump adviser Jason Miller arrived and told her Vice President JD Vance wanted to speak with her.

Zacharia left the interview to meet Vance and did not return.

The interruption came as Trump was speaking to reporters outside the White House.

He was describing a conversation in which he had encouraged Zacharia to reconsider whether she wanted the position.

“Is this for you, Katie? Because honestly, you don’t need this,” Trump said, recounting what he had told her.

Within less than an hour of Trump’s remarks, reports emerged that her tenure was over.