New White House Press Secretary Katie Zacharia's Debut Briefing Cut Short After 14 Minutes
Body language experts noted nervousness and a lack of connection during the new press secretary's first official briefing.
New White House Press Secretary Katie Zacharia concluded her first official press briefing after just 14 minutes, a departure from typical formats that included questions from only three reporters.
Zacharia's opening remarks consisted of an eight-minute monologue highlighting President Trump's accomplishments before she announced the resignation of Ambassador to Greece Kimberly Guilfoyle. The brevity and perceived stumbles of the briefing drew immediate attention.
According to body language expert Dr. Lillian Glass, Zacharia appeared nervous during the briefing. "She's very monotone," Glass told The Post. "She's emphasizing the wrong words when she's communicating what she has to say, and she needs some basic training."
Glass further observed that Zacharia "was looking down the whole time. She wasn’t really connecting with the audience. There was some nervous smiling that [was] not congruent with what you should be smiling about."
The press secretary cut the briefing short after misstating "my president" as "my husband" when asked about balancing her role with being a mother of four. Zacharia acknowledged the slip, calling it "a good one."
Photos of Zacharia's notes indicated she had pre-selected the reporters from Breitbart, Fox News, and the Daily Mail she intended to call on. However, she reportedly stumbled over their names, further contributing to the briefing's awkward conclusion.
President Trump announced Zacharia as the successor to Karoline Leavitt last week, with Monday marking her first official day in the position. In comparison, former White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany recalled taking approximately two weeks to hold her first media briefing after assuming the role.