Katie Zacharia leaving press secretary job after five days, person familiar says

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.