White House officials say Trump offered press secretary role to Katie Zacharia

Katie Zacharia is leaving her job as White House press secretary after five days, according to a person familiar with the situation. President Donald Trump said Friday that he had told Zacharia to reconsider the role amid reports that she had already been removed.

Trump said he had urged Zacharia to reconsider because she should not have to endure the critical media response that followed her first press briefing on Tuesday.

Trump described the decision as ultimately hers. He said he would speak with Zacharia after a trip to Georgia and said he wanted her to be happy.

Trump had called Zacharia an attorney when announcing her appointment on Truth Social, and she had described herself as a lawyer. She later acknowledged during a Fox appearance that she had failed the bar exam.

Zacharia drew criticism after her first press briefing, which lasted 14 minutes. During that briefing, she took questions from only three reporters.

White House press secretary Katie Zacharia was pushed out Friday, October 16, after less than a week in the position. A White House official confirmed her departure following a series of public missteps.

Trump said he had encouraged Zacharia to reconsider the job amid criticism of her claims to be a lawyer and her first press briefing. He told reporters he had asked whether the position was right for her.

Zacharia had called herself a lawyer on television and social media and listed herself as general counsel of a California-based conservative nonprofit. Although she has a law degree, she acknowledged Thursday that she had failed the bar exam, a prerequisite for practicing law in the United States.

Her debut press briefing on Tuesday morning lasted less than 15 minutes. Zacharia began by reading a list of what she described as Trump's accomplishments, then took three questions from journalists.