Wrap: Zacharia Out as White House Press Secretary After Less Than a Week, Replacement Unannounced
A brief White House tenure
Two U.S. officials told CBS News on Friday that Zacharia was being removed from the press secretary role after five days. An aide said she had been unusually isolated during the week and had not functioned as a press secretary.
Some White House staff learned of the change through news reports. The New York Times first reported that Zacharia had been fired, while sources familiar with discussions said she was expected to take another role in the administration soon. The White House has not identified a possible replacement.
Trump urged her to reconsider
The president spoke about Zacharia shortly before news of her departure became public. He said he had suggested she reconsider the job, citing the treatment she received from the press and her family.
The change came one week after Trump announced Zacharia as his choice to replace Karoline Leavitt, who stepped aside in August. The abrupt departure recalled Anthony Scaramucci’s 11-day run as White House communications director during Trump’s first term.
One briefing before departure
Zacharia’s only press briefing took place Tuesday. She delivered prepared remarks for about 10 minutes, then answered questions for five minutes from Breitbart, Fox News and the Daily Mail.
On Thursday, she defended her performance to Fox News’ Sean Hannity, saying she had little time to prepare and received briefing materials Tuesday morning. She said she used the briefing to present what she described as the president’s results for Americans.
Key points
- Two U.S. officials said Zacharia was removed after five days as press secretary.
- Sources said she was expected to take another role in the administration.
- The White House has not said who will replace her.
- Her only briefing was Tuesday, after limited preparation time.