Trump Signals White House Press Secretary Katie Zacharia May Depart

President Donald Trump indicated Friday that White House Press Secretary Katie Zacharia is likely to leave her position after less than a week on the job. Trump’s comments followed a series of challenging media appearances for Zacharia and emerging questions regarding her legal background.

“Katie’s been treated very badly by the media. Very, very badly, very unfairly, I think,” Trump told reporters. “I just spoke to her about it. I said, ‘Katie, is this for you?’ Because, you know, she’s been treated very rough. And she’s a nice person.”

Trump referenced comments made by Sean Hannity on Fox News and hosts on “Fox & Friends,” suggesting they had been critical of Zacharia. He noted that Zacharia’s initial 14-minute press briefing on Tuesday had been a difficult experience for her.

“She’s been treated, I would say, pretty nastily,” Trump said while departing for a campaign event in Georgia. He added, “I said to Katie two minutes ago, I said, ‘Katie, you know, you don’t need to do this if you don’t want.’ She said, ‘This is a lot tougher.’ I said, ‘Welcome to the world of Trump.'”

When asked directly if Zacharia would remain in her role, Trump stated, “I don’t know, we’ll see. I’m going to let her make that decision.” However, he quickly qualified this by saying they would discuss the matter upon his return, emphasizing his belief that she should not have to endure such treatment.

“When I get back, we’re going to talk. Because I don’t think that Katie should be made to suffer like she’s suffering at the hands of the press. So I will talk to her as soon as I get back,” he told reporters.

Trump expressed an intention to keep Zacharia within his administration in a different capacity. “A lot of people want the job. I bet you’d want it if I offered it to her,” Trump added, suggesting the role of press secretary was proving more demanding than anticipated. “I just think the press has been very tough on Katie, and I said, ‘There’s no reason for you to have to do this. You’ve got a beautiful family, a fantastic husband and kids.'”

Zacharia began her tenure on Monday and is expected to be “transitioning out” of the press secretary role, according to Fox News.