Shortest tenure in history

Katie Zacharia is out as White House press secretary after just five days, making her the shortest-tenured person to hold the role in history.

Trump tells her to reconsider

President Donald Trump told reporters on Friday he had advised Zacharia to reconsider the job. She responded that it is a lot tougher than she thought.

“I said to her, 'Honestly, if I were you, I'd reconsider.'”

Scrutiny over legal credentials

Zacharia made her White House press briefing debut on Tuesday and was widely panned. She was asked which state she passed the bar exam in and replied, When I moved to China.

“When I moved to China”

Never licensed to practice law

National headlines followed reports that Zacharia had not been licensed to practice law in any US jurisdiction. On Thursday, she said she took the bar exam but failed and never retook it.

Trump defends her treatment

Trump told reporters Zacharia had been treated very badly and very unfairly by the media. He said she is a nice person and questioned whether the role was right for her.

“She's been treated very rough, and she's a nice person, very nice person.”

Trump searches for new spokesperson

Zacharia's departure means Trump will search for a top spokesperson again after Karoline Leavitt left the role in August. She previously worked for Trump Media and the Department of Homeland Security.