Katie Zacharia Out as White House Press Secretary
Andrew Powell · Oct 16, 2026 · 2 min read
Katie Zacharia is leaving her position as White House press secretary after just seven days, following a turbulent introduction to the role and growing questions about her background.
According to Fox News, a source familiar with the situation confirmed to the outlet that Zacharia is departing the position. A senior White House official said she is now “transitioning out” of the role.
The development came after President Donald Trump publicly acknowledged Friday that he had encouraged Zacharia to reconsider remaining as press secretary.
Speaking to reporters on the South Lawn, Trump said he told Zacharia, “You don’t have to do this if you don’t want to… I think you should reconsider.”
Trump also suggested the job may not have been the right fit for her.
“Maybe it’s not for her,” Trump said.
When asked whether Zacharia had been fired, Trump pushed back on that characterization. “No no. I want her to have a good life,” he said, adding that she had been “brutalized by the media.”
Zacharia was appointed on Oct. 9 and made her first appearance behind the White House podium four days later. Her Oct. 13 briefing lasted only 14 minutes, with Zacharia taking questions from three reporters.
Her performance quickly drew attention, including criticism over several verbal missteps. At one point, she mistakenly referred to her husband as “my president” before correcting herself.
The short briefing also fueled comparisons with previous press secretaries. Karoline Leavitt’s first briefing lasted nearly 47 minutes, while Sean Spicer’s debut went for roughly 79 minutes. Sarah Huckabee Sanders’ first briefing in 2017 lasted about 23 minutes.
Zacharia faced additional scrutiny during a Thursday appearance on “Hannity,” where she was questioned about her legal credentials. She acknowledged that she did not pass the bar exam and had never obtained a U.S. law license.
She explained that she had pre-registered for the exam before learning she would be living in China, saying she chose to sit for it rather than receive a withdrawal status.
Zacharia also defended her performance at the podium, saying she had been on the job for less than eight hours and had limited preparation time.
The White House had defended Zacharia earlier in the week, with Communications Director Steven Cheung calling her a “fabulous and wonderful addition to the team.”
Zacharia previously worked as a senior communications adviser for Trump Media & Technology Group and briefly served as a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson earlier this year.