White House Press Secretary Katie Zacharia has been removed from her position less than a week after taking office, following public questions about her legal qualifications and comments by President Donald Trump suggesting she reconsider the job.
A White House official confirmed on Friday that Zacharia had been “let go”, while Fox News separately reported, citing an administration official, that she was “transitioning” out of the position.
Zacharia began serving as press secretary on Monday and conducted her first White House press briefing the following day.
Her departure follows scrutiny over whether she had passed the bar examination, a requirement for practising law, after Trump described her as an attorney when announcing her appointment.
Zacharia, a graduate of Pepperdine University’s law school in California, acknowledged during a Fox News interview on Thursday that she had not passed the bar examination.
Speaking to reporters as he departed the White House, Trump said he had personally encouraged Zacharia to consider whether the demanding position was right for her.
“I told her: ‘I think you’re better off being happy, and I’m not sure you can ever be happy in this stuff.’ There’s nothing easy about this stuff,” the president said.
He added: “I said to her honestly, ‘If I were you, I’d reconsider… think about it. But I would reconsider.’”
Zacharia had previously explained that she received a call about the press secretary position last Wednesday and was formally offered the role on Friday, succeeding Karoline Leavitt.
Trump subsequently announced her appointment, but questions surrounding her professional credentials emerged during her first days in office.
The White House has not provided a detailed public explanation of the circumstances behind her departure beyond the comments attributed to administration officials.
Her brief tenure recalls other short-lived appointments in previous Trump administrations, including Anthony Scaramucci, who served as White House communications director for just 10 days during Trump’s first term.
No successor to Zacharia was identified in the report.