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Katie Zacharia out as press secretary after five days
The White House press secretary lasted just five days on the job before stepping down amid questions about her legal credentials.
In brief
The White House press secretary lasted just five days on the job before stepping down amid questions about her legal credentials. Katie Zacharia resigned as White House press secretary after five days, following scrutiny over her claimed legal credentials and a poorly received first briefing. Originally reported by…
Press secretary out after five days
Katie Zacharia is transitioning out of her role as White House press secretary, according to a White House official not authorized to speak on the record.
She started at the beginning of the week
Zacharia started her job at the beginning of the week and gave her first and only press briefing on Tuesday. The briefing was noticeably short and widely panned.
Trump offered her a way out
President Trump said he gave Zacharia the option to decide if she wanted to resign. Trump noted she had a rough time with how the media was treating her.
“I said, Katie, you know, you don't have to do this if you don't want. She said, this is a lot tougher. I said, welcome to the world of Trump.”
Questions about her legal credentials
Trump referred to Zacharia as an attorney. She attended law school but there is no record of her passing the bar in any state.
She claimed she passed the bar in China
When asked about her bar credentials, Zacharia responded that she had passed when she moved to China. Foreigners cannot take the bar in China or practice law there.
She later said she misheard the question
Zacharia later said she misheard the question about when she passed the bar. She defended herself on Fox News when questioned by Sean Hannity about her professional record.
“I graduated Pepperdine, got married in the same week, and we had all intent to move out to China. I sat for it because I didn't want to have a withdraw status.”
No regular briefings for months
It has been almost two months since Karoline Leavitt, the last press secretary, left. There have not been regular press briefings for months now.
Trump will continue speaking for himself
Trump frequently comes out and takes questions from reporters at the White House with very little notice. He appears comfortable being his own spokesperson going forward.
Critical moment for Trump's presidency
Trump's approval ratings as president are at the lowest for his presidency. He is in full throttle for midterm campaigning while polling shows Republican candidates are on their heels.
The key point
Katie Zacharia resigned as White House press secretary after five days, following scrutiny over her claimed legal credentials and a poorly received first briefing.
