Trump fires White House press secretary just five days after appointment

US President Donald Trump has fired White House press secretary Katie Zacharia, who had held the position for only five days. The decision followed an unsuccessful first briefing and a scandal over her professional qualifications.

The New York Times reported this on October 16, citing three people familiar with the situation. Sources in the US president's circle also confirmed the firing to CNN.

Zacharia began her duties on October 12, and by October 16 she had lost the job. Thus, she set a record for the shortest tenure as White House press secretary.

According to Fox News, an administration official said that Zacharia is leaving the post. However, the White House initially did not issue a separate official statement about the dismissal.

Trump suggested Zacharia reconsider her decision to work

Shortly before reports of the firing emerged, Donald Trump publicly commented on the situation with the new press secretary.

While speaking with reporters before departing for Georgia, the president said he had spoken with Zacharia earlier that day and advised her to consider whether continuing in the role was wise.

"Honestly, if I were you, I would reconsider my decision," — Trump conveyed the content of the conversation.

The president said he asked Zacharia whether she really needed the job, given the increased attention from the press.

"Maybe this job is not for her," — the American leader admitted.

Trump also said that Zacharia had been subjected to overly harsh criticism from journalists. The president was particularly unhappy with interviews on Fox News, where hosts asked her uncomfortable questions about her professional experience.

Trump also noted that he would like Zacharia to be happy, regardless of her future career decisions.

First briefing drew criticism

Katie Zacharia held her first official briefing at the White House on Tuesday, October 13.

The event lasted about 14 minutes. During that time, the press secretary answered questions from representatives of only three media outlets.

Journalists noticed that she read pre-prepared statements for much of her remarks, and the exchange with the press was unusually short.

Zacharia later explained that she had almost no time to prepare. According to her, less than two hours passed between the final approval of the appointment and the first appearance.

In an interview with Fox News, she defended her work and said she did everything possible under the time constraints.

However, questions about her professional background continued to surface even after the first briefing.

Scandal over legal qualification

Additional attention was drawn to Zacharia's education and legal career.

When announcing the appointment, Trump introduced her as a lawyer. Zacharia herself had previously used that term, and in some social media posts she was referred to as an attorney.

But journalists found that she had not passed the California bar exam and had not obtained a license to practice law in the United States.

Zacharia graduated from Pepperdine University School of Law in 2011, after which she worked for a time in China.

In an interview on October 15, she confirmed that she indeed failed the California exam and subsequently made no further attempts to obtain a US law license.

Zacharia explained that she used the word "lawyer" because she had a legal education, and she tried to draw a distinction between holding a law degree and being a licensed attorney.

These explanations raised additional questions, since she had previously shared posts that called her specifically an attorney.

According to CNN, over the past two years Zacharia had repeatedly shared social media materials with that designation of her profession.

White House again left without a permanent press secretary

Donald Trump announced the appointment of Katie Zacharia on October 9. She was to replace Karoline Leavitt, who left the post in August 2026.

Before moving to the White House, Zacharia worked as a political commentator on conservative television channels and also served as a senior communications advisor at Trump Media & Technology Group, the company that owns the social network Truth Social.

In addition, she briefly worked at the US Department of Homeland Security.

When announcing the appointment, Trump praised her political loyalty and support for his administration.

However, just days later the new press secretary faced media criticism and questions about her professional experience.

By the evening of October 16, no new candidate for White House press secretary had been publicly announced.

Zacharia's firing came as the Trump administration prepared for the US congressional midterm elections scheduled for November 2026.

Based on materials from: The New York Times, CNN, The Guardian, CBS News.