US President Donald Trump has dismissed Katie Zacharia less than a week after she took over as White House press secretary (Img: Pinterest)
Washington: US President Donald Trump has dismissed Katie Zacharia from her position as White House press secretary less than a week after she took up the role, following a turbulent start marked by questions about her professional credentials and public appearances.
According to reports, Zacharia was transitioning out of the position. Her departure leaves the Trump administration without a key spokesperson just over two weeks before the November midterm elections, as Republicans seek to retain control of Congress.
Trump had indicated earlier that he had advised Zacharia to reconsider the demanding position after she faced intense media scrutiny during her first few days in office.
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Trump said he had encouraged her to consider whether the role would make her happy. He added that he intended to revisit the matter with her later.
Zacharia began her tenure on Monday and conducted her first White House press briefing the following day. She said she had received a call about the position on October 7 and had been offered the job to replace Karoline Leavitt.
However, questions soon emerged over her claims of having practised law. She also mentioned , she had worked in international transaction law and possessed the appropriate credentials. However, could not find records indicating that the Pepperdine University law school graduate had been admitted to the bar or registered as an attorney in any US state or the District of Columbia.
Moreover , Zacharia acknowledged that she had not passed the bar examination, a requirement for legal practice in the United States.
Trump had reportedly brought Zacharia into the role to strengthen his administration's public messaging and improve how its achievements were communicated to the media. The president also said he was in no hurry to name her successor.
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Her departure is believed to mark the shortest tenure of any White House press secretary.
Anthony Scaramucci, who served as White House communications director for 10 days during Trump's first administration, reacted to the development on X, writing, "Records are made to be broken," while adding that he took no pleasure in another person's difficulties.
