On Oct. 16, President Donald Trump said he had advised Katie Zacharia to reconsider serving as White House press secretary, the day she left the job after five days.
On Oct. 16, Trump told reporters, “Honestly, if I were you, I’d reconsider.” The White House published video of the exchange. The Associated Press reported Zacharia was leaving that day; Axios, citing two senior officials, reported that she had been ousted.
Trump announced Zacharia’s appointment on Oct. 9. She started work Oct. 12 and held her first briefing the next day. The briefing lasted about 14 minutes, with questions from three reporters, according to AP. Zacharia told Fox News she had little time to prepare for the appearance.
In interviews with Fox News and Human Events, Zacharia acknowledged failing the California bar exam and defended describing herself as a lawyer when providing legal analysis. She succeeded Karoline Leavitt, whose final day as press secretary was Aug. 27, according to the White House.
Sean Spicer, Trump’s first press secretary, discussed the job’s demands in an interview with Australian commentator Andrew Bolt. He said the role involves more than advocating the president’s agenda, including coordination with government agencies, Congress and other groups, as well as dealing with reporters. Bolt asked whether Trump gave too much weight to a candidate’s appearance and agreement with him; Spicer’s response focused on the wider duties. The exchange follows Spicer’s earlier advice on choosing Trump’s next press secretary.
