Katie Zacharia has publicly praised Donald Trump after leaving her position as White House press secretary less than five days after taking up the role.
In a statement posted on Instagram, Zacharia described the US president as “kind, wonderful, gracious, thoughtful, enthusiastic, and the most hardworking man”.
“I wish more Americans appreciated him. No one will ever make America great the way he has and continues to. It was an honor to work for him,” she wrote.
A senior White House official told the Daily Mail that Zacharia was “transitioning out” of the position on Friday.
Trump Told Her to Reconsider the Appointment
Trump confirmed that he had spoken to Zacharia about whether she wanted to continue in the job.
The president said he summoned the 41-year-old to meet him on Friday and encouraged her to reconsider taking on the demanding role.
“You don’t have to do this if you don’t want to,” Trump said he told her. “Honestly if I were you I’d reconsider.”
Trump added that the position might not be right for her. When asked whether he intended to fire her, he replied: “No, I want her to have a good life.”
Zacharia’s departure makes her tenure shorter than that of Anthony Scaramucci, who served as White House communications director for 11 days in 2017.
Before joining the press office, she worked in communications for Trump Media, the company behind the president’s social media platform, Truth Social. She also held a communications advisory position at the Department of Homeland Security earlier in Trump’s second administration.
Source Claims Zacharia Was Set Up to Fail
A source close to Zacharia told the Daily Mail that she had been placed in an exceptionally difficult position and faced criticism from multiple directions.
“Katie is a beautiful person who was brought into an incredibly tough situation with sharp knives from every direction,” the source said, claiming she had been attacked by political opponents, the media and people within the White House.
The source also criticised colleagues for allegedly sharing negative comments about Zacharia with journalists rather than helping her settle into the role.
“Instead of focusing on how to help her succeed, colleagues spent their time texting negative tear downs to the media,” the source said.
The source argued that the episode highlighted divisions within the Republican political establishment and said the administration needed a team capable of working together ahead of the midterm elections.
Despite the controversy, the source described Zacharia as intelligent, driven and kind, adding that she would be better off moving on from the position.
Short Debut Briefing Drew Criticism
Zacharia’s appointment was followed by questions about her experience and performance during her first appearance before reporters.
Her debut press briefing on Tuesday lasted approximately 14 minutes and included questions from only three journalists. The session attracted criticism over her nervous presentation and handling of questions.
By comparison, briefings under her predecessor, Karoline Leavitt, averaged around 45 minutes.
Zacharia later travelled with Trump to rallies in Alaska, Arizona and Montana on Wednesday and Thursday but did not hold further press briefings during the trips.
Questions Over Her Legal Credentials
Her professional background also came under scrutiny after she described herself as a lawyer while appearing as a commentator on conservative television programmes.
Zacharia, a graduate of Pepperdine University School of Law, defended her use of the term, saying it was appropriate when she provided legal analysis. She also said she had worked as a lawyer in China.
During questions about her credentials at the White House, reporters asked where she had passed the bar examination. Zacharia responded that she had passed it after moving to China.
She later told The New York Times that she had not heard the question properly because of noise from Marine One.
Zacharia Admits Failing California Bar Exam
During an interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity on Thursday night, Zacharia acknowledged that she had failed the California bar examination in 2011 and had not retaken it.
She described the result as inconsequential and maintained her position regarding her legal work.
At the end of the interview, Zacharia promised to be better prepared in the future and said she would step up to the responsibilities Trump had assigned to her.
Hannity discussed the interview on his programme the following evening, saying he had expected Zacharia to use the opportunity to address the questions surrounding her credentials.
“I just assumed after three days she would want an opportunity to put it to rest. I felt like it gave her an opportunity to do that. I just expected a different answer,” he said.
Zacharia Had Previously Worked at Homeland Security
Before her brief White House appointment, Zacharia worked as a communications adviser at the Department of Homeland Security, where her tenure lasted approximately six weeks earlier in the year.
Her move to the White House followed her work with Trump Media, placing her in a prominent communications position within the administration.
Despite her departure, another source with knowledge of her plans said Zacharia was expected to have dinner with Vice President JD Vance and his family on Friday evening.
The circumstances surrounding her exit followed several days of scrutiny over her first briefing and questions about her professional qualifications.
