Katie Zacharia Slams Piers Morgan for 'Gotcha Moments' in Interview

Former White House Press Secretary Katie Zacharia has publicly criticized Piers Morgan, accusing him of attempting to create "gotcha moments" during a recent interview that she described as "brutal." The conversation, published on Wednesday, reportedly soured when Morgan pressed Zacharia about her brief five-day tenure as press secretary before being asked to step down by former President Donald Trump.

Zacharia stated that Morgan made two attempts to elicit a desired reaction from her. She also criticized Morgan for changing topics without informing her and for not disclosing that Anthony Scaramucci, former White House Communications Director, would also be a guest.

During the interview, Morgan questioned Zacharia's response to Trump's alleged statement, "Was this really for you?" Zacharia declined to answer, asserting that she would keep private conversations with the president confidential. She reaffirmed her loyalty to Trump, describing herself as "ruthlessly loyal" and expressing a desire to focus on the upcoming midterm elections.

Morgan reportedly told Zacharia she sounded "like a robot" and suggested that answering his questions would not betray Trump's loyalty. He pointed out that Trump had indeed asked her to leave after five days, a fact he presented as clear to the public.

Following the interview, Zacharia took to X (formerly Twitter) to voice her dissatisfaction. Responding to a clip of the interview shared with the caption, "BRUTAL. JUST ABSOLUTELY BRUTAL. Perhaps the most uncomfortable interview I’ve EVER watched," Zacharia wrote, "You can spin your bulls*** however you want. It was uncomfortable because Piers never got his gotcha moment despite two attempts. Changing the topics (despite denial) and not informing me Scaramucci was a guest."

Scaramucci Joins Interview

The situation intensified when Morgan introduced Scaramucci, who himself had a short tenure of 10 days as Communications Director in 2017. Morgan drew parallels between Zacharia's experience and Scaramucci's, stating, "You've been right where Katie is." He added that Zacharia had been "mocked mercilessly" and was "the laughing stock," as Scaramucci had been.

Scaramucci responded by saying he was not there to be Zacharia's "life coach" but praised her handling of the media fallout after her dismissal. He gave her performance in the interview with Morgan an "A plus." Scaramucci described the atmosphere in Washington D.C. as cutthroat, warning that "The shots come from inside in a job like that... You think these people in Washington are your friends, and they say nice things to you, but then they try to shiv you."

Despite his criticisms of Washington, Scaramucci stated he respected Zacharia's continued support for Trump. Zacharia reiterated her praise for the former president, explaining that she received the job opportunity because she was authentic and intended to leave in the same manner. "I am gonna continue fighting for the president because that is what I know I am called to do," she said.

This is not the first time Zacharia has faced challenging interviews. She was reportedly questioned about her legal credentials by Sean Hannity of Fox News on October 15, one day before her resignation as press secretary. Zacharia later expressed surprise about the nature of that interview on Newsmax, having expected a more cordial conversation, as Hannity had previously defended her on air. When asked if she would return to Hannity's show, she stated, "I never bow away from a fight or back away from a fight."