WASHINGTON (AP) — Katie Zacharia is departing as White House press secretary, saying it “was an honor to work for” President Donald Trump after a short and rocky tenure that was defined by questions about her professional background and lack of polish in fielding questions from journalists.
A person familiar with the matter, granted anonymity to discuss a personnel decision not yet made public, said earlier Friday that Zacharia would be transitioning out of the role. Trump had cast significant doubt on her future, telling reporters that he would have a discussion with her following his weekend travel — and that if he were her, he would reconsider the job.
In a post late Friday on social media, Zacharia appeared to refer to her job in the past tense and called Trump “a kind, wonderful, gracious, thoughtful, enthusiastic, and hardworking man.”
Zacharia had come under immediate scrutiny when she appeared uncomfortable during her inaugural briefing on Tuesday, delivering halting remarks touting the president and his accomplishments. Her 14-minute briefing was followed by criticism that the conservative commentator had long called herself a lawyer when she had not passed a bar exam nor was otherwise credentialed to practice.
Zacharia was a surprise choice when Trump announced her appointment on Oct. 9, as the successor to Karoline Leavitt, the youngest-ever White House press secretary who had been part of Trump’s inner circle for years. The chaotic nature of Zacharia’s appointment and subsequent downfall evoked some of the personnel messes of the president’s first term, which had largely been absent from his second.