Ousted White House Press Secretary's Tenure Dubbed 'Half a Scaramucci'
Katie Zacharia's five-day term in the role has drawn comparisons to Anthony Scaramucci's brief 2017 stint, sparking a new political idiom.
The tenure of former White House press secretary Katie Zacharia has been so brief it has been labeled 'Half a Scaramucci,' a new unit of political time. Zacharia's five days in the role before her dismissal by Donald Trump have drawn parallels to Anthony Scaramucci's 11-day tenure in 2017, which previously set the benchmark for exceptionally short-lived appointments.
Political observers have begun using the phrase 'Half a Scaramucci' to describe Zacharia's swift exit from the position. Nancy Cordes, a CBS White House reporter, noted on Radio 4's Today programme that Scaramucci's time in the role became so significant it spawned a unit of measurement, with people saying, 'Oh, you lasted a couple of Scaramuccis!' Cordes suggested that 'Zacharia' might now also become a new unit of time in Washington, stating, 'I suppose it is, she is half a Scaramucci.'
The California mother-of-four's tenure began with a press briefing last Tuesday that was described as a 'car crash.' The situation reportedly worsened when she faced questions regarding claims she had passed the bar exam. By Friday, she had been dismissed.
Following her departure, Zacharia posted a photograph with Donald Trump in the Oval Office, writing, 'President Trump is a kind, wonderful, gracious, thoughtful, enthusiastic and the most hardworking man. I wish more Americans appreciated him... It was an honor to work for him.'