Katie Zacharia Ousted as Trump Press Secretary After Five Days
Brutal details emerge of Zacharia's abrupt departure, including an interruption during a press interview.
Katie Zacharia's tenure as press secretary for former President Donald Trump ended after just five days, with reports detailing a swift and public ousting. The abrupt dismissal followed a challenging first week that culminated in Zacharia being summoned for a meeting with Trump.
On Friday, while Zacharia was conducting an interview with The Wall Street Journal, Jason Miller, a senior Trump adviser, approached her. Miller informed her that Trump, referred to as 'JD,' wanted to speak with them. Zacharia excused herself from the interview and did not return to the conversation, according to the Journal's report.
Shortly after, Trump addressed reporters on his helipad. When asked to assess Zacharia's performance, he stated, "Well, Katie's been treated very badly by the media." He also revealed that he had spoken with Zacharia earlier that day, suggesting she reconsider the role. "I said, 'Is this for you Katie? Because honestly, you don’t need this,'" Trump recounted.
Regarding his confidence in her, Trump responded, "I don't know. We'll see. I'm gonna let her make that decision." He reiterated that he had advised her to "reconsider because you don't wanna go through this," characterizing the media's coverage of her as "nasty."
Prior to news of her dismissal breaking, Zacharia had told the Wall Street Journal that "no staffing changes are happening" and emphasized her efforts to keep the White House communications team cohesive. She also spoke of running on "no sleep and high adrenaline and probably too much caffeine and no food."
Zacharia's brief time in the role began with a challenging 14-minute press briefing on Tuesday, which drew criticism and online mockery. Her appointment as press secretary was considered a surprise, with her prior experience including a short stint at the Department of Homeland Security and appearances on conservative media, alongside a legal career that had faced scrutiny.
The White House has not issued a formal comment on the specifics of the reporting by The Wall Street Journal.