President Trump’s New Press Secretary Katie Zacharia Fired After Less Than a Week in Shocking White House Shake-Up

President Donald Trump’s newly appointed press secretary Katie Zacharia has reportedly been fired after less than a week in the role, following a rocky start marked by questions about her legal credentials and criticism of her early media appearances.

Two White House officials said on Friday that Zacharia had been “let go” and was “transitioning out” of the position, bringing an abrupt end to a tenure that began just days earlier.

Her departure leaves Trump without a key spokesperson at a politically sensitive moment, with the November midterm elections approaching and Republicans facing a crucial fight to retain control of Congress.

The sudden development followed several days of scrutiny over Zacharia’s background and performance during her first White House briefing and subsequent interviews.

Trump had already suggested that she reconsider whether the demanding position was right for her. Speaking to reporters on Friday as he prepared to leave the White House for a weekend trip, the president said he had discussed the issue with her.

“I told her: ‘I think you’re better off being happy, and I’m not sure you can ever be happy in this stuff. There’s nothing easy about this stuff,’” Trump said.

He added that he had encouraged Zacharia to think carefully about whether she wanted to continue, while indicating that he planned to revisit the conversation later.

Zacharia had started on Monday and delivered her first White House press briefing on Tuesday. She said she received a call about the position on October 7 and was offered the job to succeed Karoline Leavitt approximately a week before her departure.

However, questions about her professional background soon became a major distraction.

Zacharia had described her career as including work in law, while Trump had also referred to her as an attorney. In a statement emailed on Wednesday, she said she had practised international transaction law and possessed “all the appropriate credentials”.

But Reuters reported that it could not find records showing she was registered as an attorney or admitted to the bar in any US state or the District of Columbia.

During a Fox News interview on Thursday, Zacharia acknowledged that she had not passed the bar exam. Law school graduates generally must be admitted to a state bar before they can legally practise law in the United States.

The questions over her credentials added to the pressure surrounding her first days in the position, which also included criticism of her performance in media appearances.

According to two people familiar with discussions surrounding the appointment, Trump had selected Zacharia after expressing dissatisfaction with coverage of his administration and wanting a spokesperson capable of communicating his achievements more effectively.

Her exit now leaves the White House facing another communications decision. Trump told Fox News on Friday that he was in no hurry to appoint a replacement, suggesting the administration would take its time before making another choice.

Zacharia and the White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment about the reported firing.

The speed of her departure also prompted comparisons with other short-lived appointments in Trump’s administration. Anthony Scaramucci, who served as White House communications director for just 10 days during Trump’s first term, reacted to the news on X.

“Records are made to be broken,” Scaramucci wrote, adding that he took no pleasure in another person’s difficulties.

If confirmed as reported, Zacharia’s departure would mark an exceptionally brief tenure for a White House press secretary, leaving questions about the administration’s next communications strategy just weeks before a major electoral test.