White House Press Secretary Katie Zacharia dismissed after less than a week

Katie Zacharia, the new White House Press Secretary, has been dismissed from her position after less than a week, following criticism and a series of mistakes during her first press conference. A White House official confirmed the news to Agence France-Presse early on Saturday, October 17. The dismissal came after US President Donald Trump indicated he was prepared to fire his newly appointed spokesperson amid criticism that she had pretended to be a lawyer and for her “much-mocked” press briefing.

Media reports suggested Zacharia had provided false information by presenting herself as an attorney. Zacharia’s tenure was even shorter than that of Anthony Scaramucci, the former White House Communications Director who was widely ridiculed for lasting only 11 days in his role during Trump’s first presidency. Zacharia lasted less than half that time.