White House Press Secretary Admits Underpreparedness in First Briefing
Katie Zacharia reflects on her initial press conference, stating she should have deferred questions after being on the job for less than a day.
Newly appointed White House Press Secretary Katie Zacharia acknowledged that she was underprepared for her first press briefing and suggested she should have avoided taking questions. Speaking on Fox News, Zacharia stated she had been in the role for less than eight hours when she faced the press corps.
"I had been on the job for one day and instead of taking questions, probably should've stepped aside," Zacharia told Sean Hannity. She added that she "did my very best to deliver for the American people" under the circumstances. Zacharia indicated that a brief introductory statement might have been more appropriate given her limited time in the position.
Zacharia vowed to be better prepared for future briefings. "What I would say is I would absolutely be very well prepared on the briefing, Sean, and I would love and I do love questions and I would love to build a relationship with all those members of the press corps so there is a substantive component to us having an ability to interact, and I will be very prepared, Sean, and I will step up to the duty that President Trump has asked me to do as press secretary," she said.
She did note that her first briefing did include the announcement of Kimberly Guilfoyle's resignation, which she considered breaking news. Zacharia also continued to address scrutiny over her claim of being a "lawyer" despite not having passed the bar exam on her first attempt. She explained this was due to her planned move to China shortly after graduating from Pepperdine University's law school, making the exam results seem inconsequential at the time. She confirmed she did not retake the exam.
The press secretary's initial briefing was notably brief, lasting only 15 minutes, significantly shorter than the typical hour-long sessions. One question during the briefing did confirm the departure of Kimberly Guilfoyle.
Zacharia's tenure began abruptly after President Trump contacted her directly, leading to her hiring announcement on Truth Social. Her background includes an internship with the Republican National Committee, a degree from Pepperdine University, and experience in the White House Office of Political Affairs during the Bush administration. She also worked for three years in China as outside counsel for the World Bank.
President Trump offered his assessment of her performance, telling reporters, "I thought she was very good." White House spokesperson Steven Cheung defended Zacharia, calling her a "fabulous and wonderful addition to the team" who is "uniquely qualified and whip smart."
By Tuesday afternoon, Zacharia was accompanying the president on his first official trip to Alaska aboard Air Force One. She has previously spoken about facing significant backlash for her support of Trump in the political sphere.
