Trump Says Katie Zacharia Spent Week Weighing White House Press Secretary Role Amid Credential Questions

A brief White House tenure

Trump announced Zacharia’s appointment one week before saying he had told her to reconsider the position. She began work on Monday and held her first briefing the following day, which lasted 14 minutes. Asked what he wanted Zacharia to do next, Trump said, “I just want her to be happy.” He said he would talk with her when he returned to Washington and that he liked her “a lot.”

Questions over legal credentials

Zacharia’s first appearance was followed by questions about whether she had falsely described herself as a lawyer. Popular Information author Judd Legum reported she had no law license in any US state, and said that describing herself as an attorney could be a crime in some states.

Appointment stirred White House tensions

The Washington Post reported, citing four people familiar with the decision, that Trump contacted Zacharia about the job without consulting Chief of Staff Susie Wiles. That prompted speculation about Wiles’s future and reports of a White House power struggle.

Trump complained that news outlets had treated Zacharia unfairly, including Hannity’s questioning. He said she was being “brutalized by the media” and suggested the role might not suit her.

Scaramucci’s record recalled

Zacharia’s tenure recalled Anthony Scaramucci, whom Trump appointed communications director in July 2017 and dismissed 11 days later. Scaramucci had held the job through one press briefing and an interview with The New Yorker in which he criticized senior White House aides.