White House press secretary Katie Zacharia is leaving her post after just five days amid criticism of her performance, a White House official confirmed to CNBC. Trump said he told her, “If I were you, I’d reconsider,” and that he had left the decision to her, while saying she had been treated “pretty nastily.” Her tenure is shorter than that of Anthony Scaramucci, who served less than 11 days as White House communications director in 2017. Her first and only press briefing, which lasted less than six minutes, drew widespread criticism, and questions about her legal background, including reports she never passed a bar exam, added to the scrutiny. CNN reported Trump was embarrassed by the coverage of the briefing.
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- Trump new press secretary out after less than week | The Peninsula Qatar
- Trump new press secretary out after less than week
White House Press Secretary Katie Zacharia, 41, was pushed out on Friday after less than a week in the job, following a series of blunders. She had described herself as a lawyer despite admitting she had failed the bar exam, and her first briefing lasted under 15 minutes with just three questions. Her remark that China “doesn't even have proper toilets” drew a response from Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning, who said she should “visit China more often”. Trump said he had told her to reconsider as he campaigns ahead of the November 3 midterm elections, where polls predict a drubbing, and his own ratings are falling over the war against Iran, inflation and perceptions of corruption.
- Trump new press secretary out after less than week
White House Press Secretary Katie Zacharia was pushed out on Friday after less than a week in the role, following a series of blunders. She had described herself as a lawyer but acknowledged she had failed the bar exam, and her debut briefing lasted under 15 minutes with just three questions. Trump said he had told her to reconsider, while her remarks disparaging China's toilets drew a response from Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning, who said she should "visit China more often." The departure adds to the distractions facing Trump as he campaigns for Republican candidates ahead of the November 3 midterm elections, where polls predict a drubbing.
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