Katie Zacharia’s brief tenure as White House press secretary has reportedly come to an end just five days after President Donald Trump announced her appointment, according to reports by CBS News and The New York Times.
A White House aide told CBS News that staff members had not expected Zacharia to remain in the position long enough to become involved in major decisions. Some White House employees reportedly learned about her departure through media coverage.
Despite leaving the press secretary role, Zacharia is expected to take on another position within the Trump administration, according to sources familiar with the discussions. The White House has not announced her replacement.
Trump Suggested She Reconsider the Position
Shortly before news of her departure broke, Trump indicated that Zacharia’s future in the role was uncertain. Referring to criticism directed at her by reporters, the president said he had advised her to reconsider accepting the position.
Trump also spoke positively about Zacharia’s husband and children, saying he had met her family the previous day.
The reported departure comes amid a week of controversy surrounding Zacharia’s performance in the White House briefing room and questions about her professional background.
Questions Surrounding Her Legal Credentials
Zacharia’s qualifications came under scrutiny after reports highlighted that she had presented herself as a lawyer despite not passing the California bar examination.
She graduated from Pepperdine Law School but failed the California bar exam in 2011, a fact she acknowledged on Thursday.
In an interview with The New York Times, Zacharia said the president of Pepperdine University had advised her that she could refer to herself as a “lawyer,” but not as an “attorney.”
She also defended herself in comments to conservative commentator Jack Posobiec, saying she had never described herself as an “attorney at law” and arguing that there was significant misinformation surrounding her use of the term “lawyer.”
A Rapid Change in the White House Communications Team
Trump announced Zacharia as his choice to replace Karoline Leavitt one week before the reports of her departure. Leavitt had stepped aside in August.
Zacharia was reportedly seen at the White House on Friday morning, and she and her family had been invited to dinner with Vice President JD Vance that evening.
As of the reports cited, the administration had not publicly identified a successor. Zacharia’s anticipated move to another role would mean that her time as the president’s chief spokesperson lasted only a few days.
